Spider Riders Chronicles: A New Evil
by DarkAngel555
Summary: My version of season 2. Rated T just in case, I tend to use mild language. For some reason, Hunter gets knocked out a lot but that's just they way I wrote it. You'll meet a new character about halfway through the story, and please review. Chapter 21's up!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1  
**13 year old Hunter Steele was finally getting some rest after a long day of patroling the city of Arachnia, located in the Inner World. His rest is interupted by his spider, Shadow.

"Getting some rest?" Shadow asked.

"Not anymore I'm not," Hunter grumbled, upset that Shadow had interrupted. Shadow had been trying to get him to rest ever since they had first gotten back from defeating Mantid for good. Hunter had been badly injured in that battle and he had barely made the trip back home. A week ago that battle had taken place , therefore ending the war with the Invectids.

Hunter and Shadow were partners in battle. Together they are unbeatable. Hunter is what is known as a Spider Rider. A Spider Rider is the elite warrior of Arachnia. There are seven Spider Riders: Hunter and Shadow, Corona and Venus, Magma and Brutis, Aqune and Portia, Prince Lumen and Ebony, Igneous and Flame, and Sparkle and Hotarla.

Hunter had been the most recent addition to the group. Hunter had come from the Outer World or Earth. Many people still call Hunter an Earthen even though he has earned more than enough respect. It's safe to say that Hunter is the leader of the Spider Riders. He holds the Oracle Keys. The Oracle Keys are the keys to the Oracle's, or the powerful being that created the Inner World, power.

Hunter had to keep the keys away from the Invectids during the time of the war so Hunter had to find and capture them before the Invectids did. The keys choose him to the holder of there power. Invectids are bug-like creatures who were, until just recently, attempting to take control of the Inner World and consume everything. Mantid was the leader of this plot and the only really evil one of the Invectids. He, a couple years back, tried to use the keys to make himself more powerful. He ended up banishing his people from sunlight. He tried to do the same thing just about a week ago. Hunter had saved everyone.

Hunter had been in bed most of the week; everyone still wanted him there because his wounds were still not completely healed. Today was his first day out of his bed and Shadow had kept all eight eyes on him. Hunter still didn't have all of his strength back and Shadow had been sure to shorten his patrol time because of it.

Hunter sighed. 'At this rate,' he thought. 'I'm never going to get better.' Hunter laid back down on his bed and closed his eyes. He was so tired right now. His annoying battle spider intruded in on his rest again. "I told you not to go on patrol today," Shadow said. "I'll be lucky to have you wake up tomorrow."

"I'm not that tired, Shadow," Hunter said softly, not bothering to open his eyes. "I could use some rest though. So please be quiet." Shadow was shocked. Hunter never said please to him. He must be so intensely tried that he's delirious. A soft gasp sounded from outside Hunter's door. "You can come in, Corona," the very tired Spider Rider said. He rolled over to his side and winced as he stretched one of his wounds.

Corona came in through the door(as opposed to what?? sorry had to say that), concern etched on her very blue eyes. Hunter was already asleep by the time she reached his side. She pushed back a lock of red hair of his forehead and put her hand in its place. She pulled her hand away from his very warm forehead and checked his wounds. They all seemed to be healing normally. Nothing explained the fever that Hunter had. She covered him up.

Her manacle beeped. A manacle is basically a Spider Riders key item and is worn around the wrist. She tapped a large button on the manacle and said, "Yes?"

"How is he?" Igneous' voice came out of the manacle. Corona bit her lip. 'Should I tell him?' she thought.

"All of his wounds are fine......." Corona started uneasily.

"But..." Igneous said.

"But he a fever and unfortunately, it's pretty high."

"So much for his swift recovery." Corona snorted a little too loudly. A shush from Shadow made her leave the room.

"Yea, so much for that."

"At least he's.......... By the Oracle! What is that thing?!?!?!?!"

"What's wrong?"

"Corona," Igneous said nervously. "I think we've got trouble."

"Got it!" she said. "I'll call the others." She ran outside of Arachnia Castle, where all the Spider Riders lived. It was made of a strangely pink stone and was rather large. "Venus, Spider Out!" A ball of light erupted from her manacle and splashed to the ground next to her revealing a battle spider. Venus was a pink spider, but she is just as tough as the rest of them.

"Calling all Spider Riders!" Corona called into her manacle, opening lines to all the manacles. "Meet me in front of Arachnia's walls."

Corona closed communications. "Go, Venus," she called. Venus started ahead, going as fast as she could. When she reached the walls, she spotted Igneous battling some weird machine things. She held her manacle up and yelled, "Arachnia Power!"

Her body was covered by a gentle light in the shape of a spider web. Her clothes turned into battle armor and she got her special weapon, a bow. Venus' body also armored itself.

She shot an arrow from her bow and it destroyed the machine that Igneous was fighting. The machine was all rods and pulleys. They must have been pretty strong though because Igneous had been struggling with it. Venus leaped into the air and came down with a thud next to Igneous and Flame. "Thanks," Igneous said breathlessly. "I owe you one." Then he leaped at another machine. Corona pulled at her bow's string and an arrow appeared. She shot it at the nearest machine.

The machines kept coming. When one was taken down, two sprang up in its place. Just as they were going to be hopelessly outnumbered, four low notes sliced through the air. That was Magma's horn. Help had arrived. Corona looked over to see the four remaining Spider Riders in full battle armor.

As the rest joined the fight, Corona found that with a strike to the chest, where the main wire was,that the machine ceased to work. "Guys!" she called. "Hit them in the center of the chest where the thick red wire is. It's there weak point. If you hit them there they just seem to shut off." Every rider attempted it and their targets fell. Finishing the army off wasn't too hard after that little discovery.

After the army had been finished off a woman appeared. She had short black hair and dark, dark, dark, dark purple eyes. An orb was floating between her outstretched hands. 'A psychic,' Corona thought.

"Who are you?" Aqune asked. She never really trusted anyone besides her comrades since her part in the Invectid war. She had been controlled by Mantid and was forced to fight against them instead of with them.

"Nobody of purpose," the person said cruelly.

"I order you to tell us who you are," Prince Lumen ordered.

"What gives you the right to do that?" she asked.

"I'm the prince of Arachnia," Lumen said smugly.

"Very well. I am Melinda."

"And your purpose?" Sparkle asked, her young, innocent eyes curious.

"I am the leader of the army that you just destroyed. And I am here to take a certain Spider Rider to my leader. I think that you may know him. His name is Hunter Steele." The riders went cold. She smiled, the sight sending shivers down the spines of the riders. "You must have noticed the fever by now. I placed it there and it will keep getting worse and worse; before long, he will die."

Corona's manacle beeped. She pressed the button and asked, "What is it, Shadow?"

"It's Hunter, he answered, sounding the more concerned than Corona had ever heard him. "I tried to wake him, but he wouldn't wake up. He keeps tossing and turning. It's like he's having a fit." Corona looked up, shocked at first then angry.

"To get to Hunter, you're going to have to go through me," Corona said, quietly. Melinda smiled, sending shivers up everyone's backs again.

"Then it's on!" she said.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
**A blue ball flew up into the air and hit the ground that was in between the two fighters. An arena grew from the orb and surrounded both Corona and Melinda. Corona swallowed and looked around. She was completely cut off from the other riders. This was her battle though. She loved Hunter more than anything, even though she would never admit to it out loud. To her, he was more than a battle partner. "You ready, Venus?" Corona asked, looking down at her spider.

"I'm always ready, Corona," Venus replied. Corona looked up at Melinda with pure hatred. Melinda put the orb that was levitating between her palms away in a pouch at her belt.

"Let's set the stakes, Melinda," Corona said. "If you win, you get Hunter, but if I win you stop playing with his head. You release him from your spell."

"Those stakes are fine with me," Melinda answered. "I must warn you though. I'm tougher than anyone you've ever faced before. You are going to lose." Corona nearly growled at her. 'Not on my watch. Sorry but you're the one who's going down today, Melinda,' Corona thought.

Corona pulled at her bow to make an arrow appear. Aiming carefully but swiftly, she shot her arrow. The arrow missed but only because Melinda was as quick as she bragged about. Melinda drew a very deadly looking blade. Corona could almost hear Hunter's cries radiating from it. Her eyes narrowed. This was war.

She flung another arrow from her bow and, with the Oracle's help, the arrow struck. It hit Melinda's leg but at least it hit. Melinda cursed and jumped up and struck downward aiming for Corona's head. Corona was already out of the when the strike even neared her head.

The battle raged on like this for about an hour. Then the two were on opposite sides of the arena, gasping for air. Corona pushed a lock of sweat loaded blonde hair from her forehead. Melinda started to laugh. "What makes you fight so hard for Hunter, Corona?" she asked. "Is it maybe you have feelings for this boy?" Corona reddened. Melinda just smirked. "I knew it. Isn't he a little young for you though? I thought girls head for older men."

"We're the same age. Hunter seems older most of the time. I even forget what age he is," Corona answered, starting to get vexed.

"Ah, young love. Too bad it's going to have to end so soon." With that she thrusted with her sword but Corona blocked it with her shield.

"You're going to have to do _much_ better than that," Corona said with a smile. Corona had almost completed her plan. The thin spider threads stuck to the back of her arrows are going to make perfect net. 'Melinda must think that I'm shooting arrows randomly,' she thought. She shot her last arrow and collapsed onto her spider. Melinda, seeing this as an opening, leaped up with all her might. Corona watched hopefully. At the peak of her jump she was caught by something and she never came down.

Her plan had worked perfectly. She drew from her bow and called, "Arrow of Light." That activated her special move. As the arrow was shot, Melinda threw her sword at Corona. The arrow struck Melinda and the sword struck Corona's front side.

Melinda was able to save herself with her psychic powers but she had lost this round. Corona, swaying from blood loss, spoke to Melinda. "Now's you're time to hold up your end of the bargain."

"Yes, of course." Melinda blanked out for a moment and then said, "He got pretty far into the spell so it may take him a day or so to recover but I've removed my influence." The arena around them faded. Corona looked around. The other riders were nowhere to be found.

She decided to ride up to the castle first. When she entered the castle she removed her armor and put Venus in her manacle. She advanced towards Hunter's room. She found her missing comrades crowding his doorway. They greeted her. She basically ignored them and entered his room.

A physician was at his bedside. She glanced up as Corona entered the room. "He's going to be okay. The fever is already dropping," the doctor said. Corona took a good look at Hunter. He was pale and had a damp cloth on his forehead but otherwise seemed fine.

"That's good," Corona said weakly before collapsing into a dead faint.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Melinda kneeled in front of a form covered in shadows. "Sir," she started. "I could not retrieve Hunter Steele for you but I was able to lace the beginnings of a spell in Corona. Now if you need her all you need to do is ask me to finish the spell. She will be under our control."

"Very good, Melinda," a deep voice answered from within the shadows.

"Oh, and sir, Corona seems to have feelings for Hunter. It would be ironic if she destroyed him for us."

"No, not destroy, capture." Melinda could almost hear her master smiling as he got an idea. "Hunter could be useful to us if we got him under our control. We would have no use for Corona anymore and we could release her from the spell." He paused putting the details of his new plan into place. "Of course after that she shall be destroyed by her beloved." He started laughing his cold, evil laugh.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hunter groaned as he surfaced consciousness. His head felt fuzzy. Thoughts weren't coming easily either. 'What time is it?' he wondered vaguely. He could hear the servants rustling and moving outside his door so he assumed it must be day.

He opened his eyes to candle lighting and other assorted lights. He was wrong; it was night. The servants were moving around outside because all the Spider Riders seemed to be in here. Everyone accept Corona. 'What is she up to?' he thought.

Hunter pushed himself into an upright position. He looked around to see everybody's eyes locked on him. "What's up?" Hunter asked sleepily, still not fully awake yet.

"What's up, Hunter is that you almost died!" Shadow yelled from inside his manacle. "You wanted to go out on patrol two days ago and completely wore yourself out. Then some whack job psychic decides to play with your head therefore almost killing you. That might not have been so easy if you weren't so tired." Shadow's anger told Hunter that his spider was relieved. Some things will never change.

Hunter smirked. The room seemed to lose its tension at his reaction. "Shadow, calm down, will you?" he said, his tone playful. "I'm fine now."

"No, you're not," Shadow replied gruffly. "You're still injured." Hunter sighed and shook his head, seeing that this was a battle that he was going to lose no matter what he said. Shadow sure was stubborn. His stomach growled. It sounded something like an earthquake. He looked down at his stomach, surprised. Then he started laughing his usual laugh. A light laugh.

"I'm hungry," he stated in between fits of laughter. Magma started laughing with him. That was such a Hunter-like thing to say. Glee showed in his eyes but he wouldn't meet Hunter's slightly feverish green eyes. Nobody did; that hated to see their powerful leader in this condition. He still had a pretty high fever but fortunately it wasn't as high as before.

"You and me both buddy," Magma said, slapping Hunter on the back, accidentally hitting one of his still healing wounds. The color drained from Hunter's face as pain lanced through his body. He pressed his lips together in order to suppress a scream of pain.

At his sudden silence, Aqune glanced at him. At first, she thought that he was just really pale, but then she met his eyes. That was when she held back a gasp. His eyes, though he was trying to cover it, were full of pain and looked even more feverish than before. She didn't say anything, though, her mind on her sister in the next room.

Igneous must have noticed something was off about Hunter because he took Magma and Prince Lumen out of the room and started to speak to them in a low voice. Sparkle noticed something, too. As soon as the other riders left the room she exclaimed, "Hunter, are you all right?"

He just smiled at her and said, "I'm just fine, Sparkle." That seemed to satisfy her because she got up and left the room. Aqune knew better though. His voice had been laced with exhaustion and pain.

"You are such a liar, Hunter," Aqune said, shaking her head. Hunter laughed tightly.

"So you noticed?" he said. Aqune nodded. "When Magma smacked me on the back, he hit one of my worst injuries. The one that bothers me most often." Aqune nodded. This shows that he still wasn't healed. "Where's Corona?" Aqune looked down.

"My sister…… is in the infirmary," she said almost sadly. He looked at her, alarmed.

"What?!?!"

"She was injured while defeating the psychic who endangered her life." Hunter pressed his lips together. 'She was injured while protecting me,' he thought. 'Maybe Shadow was right before. Maybe I should have thought before going on patrol.' That was something he would have never admitted out loud.

"Take me to her." Aqune hesitated. Then she nodded. Hunter stood up. Overcoming a wave of dizziness, he followed Aqune out the door. Lumen, Igneous, and Magma were no longer in the hallway outside his room. They were probably out patrolling the walls or something like that.

Aqune opened the door next to Hunter's room. The infirmary. They had moved his room here because of his condition and he absolutely hated the infirmary. It made him feel weak and helpless. That feeling alone drove him insane. Hunter had spent half a day there before he had wanted out.

Corona was lying in the center bed. Her eyes were shut and she was pale. Hunter walked up to her and grabbed one of her hands. Aqune was just watching. She didn't want to go up to her sister. Right now, she was merely supervising; making sure Hunter doesn't collapse or anything. Hunter just stared at Corona, not knowing what to do. He sat down in the chair next to her. He didn't really have the strength to stand anymore.

He couldn't stop looking at her. He wanted to look away but found himself incapable of doing so. 'Her appearance must be a mirror image of what image of what I look like,' he thought. As he thought that, all his confusion and helplessness melted into anger. 'Nobody should have to go through what I had to go through.' He felt like he could kick anyone's butt. He wanted to fight. That was a feeling he hadn't felt for a while. He actually hoped that the psychic would come around again.

"Calling all Spider Riders!" Lumen's laid back voice called through all three manacles.

"What's wrong?" Aqune asked.

"Melinda's back with another army of Rods." Aqune's eyes widened. Rods were the robots that Melinda had been controlling. Hunter smiled. 'Just what the doctor ordered,' he thought. He got up to leave but Aqune stopped him.

"Oh no, you don't. Not in your condition." Hunter just looked at her. Aqune met his gaze and saw the fire in his eyes. He was ready to fight but was his body?

"You're not really thinking of…?" Shadow asked from inside Hunter's blue manacle.

"Yes, I am," Hunter snapped. "And if you have a problem with that I'll fight alone." He was really angry. He thought his words out though. Shadow would never let Hunter go into a fight without him. He hasn't before; he definitely won't now.

Aqune got it now. Hunter was angry. Hesitantly, she let him pass. "C'mon," he called. "Let's go kick some metal." He started off in a run. It would tire him out easily but he was only running until he had enough room to release Shadow.

Aqune caught up to him. "You really shouldn't be fighting, you know," she said.

"Yea, I know," he said. "But without both me and Corona fighting you're down two of the best riders. You'd only have five riders. If Quake was still here then maybe it would be a little different but Quake's not here and Corona's out cold so that leaves me." He slowed to a walk. "By what you've guys have told me, these guys are pretty tough. You're going to need all the help you can get and that includes me and the Oracle Keys."

Aqune pursed her lips. He was right. 'Why does he always have to be right?' Aqune thought, defeated. She could never forget how many times Hunter had saved her when she had been under the Invectid's control. She could remember one time like it was only yesterday. Hunter had broken her mask and she had collapsed, disoriented. When she opened her eyes the first thing she saw were those beautiful green eyes. The next thing she felt were his strong arms holding her up. She then felt a confusing rush of feelings that tightened around her heart, making it flutter. The same rush of feelings she still felt by being with him, talking to him, even looking at him. Her heart though, unfortunately belonged to another. A certain Invectid someone.

When they left Arachnia Castle, Hunter held up his manacle and called, "Shadow, spider out!" A ball of light came out of his manacle and splashed to the ground next to him, revealing a red, yellow, blue, and white battle spider. The spider looked tougher than most battle spiders.

Following Hunter's lead, he is the leader of the Spider Riders after all, Aqune called, "Portia, spider out!" A purple spider appeared at her side. Hunter and Aqune jumped onto their spiders. Hunter looked at Aqune.

"Let's ride!" he called. The spiders ran towards Arachnia's gates. Halfway there, Hunter and Aqune raised their manacles and yelled, "Arachnia Power!" Their bodies were covered in a light in the shape of a spider web. Hunter's clothing transformed into blue and white armor with shoulder armor. His weapon was a double bladed lance which was a pole like item with blades on both sides. Aqune's armor was mostly dark purple with the shoulder pads and a headband. Her weapon was a sword.

They rode on, trying not to be late and hoping that the other riders weren't dead yet. Upon reaching the walls, they heard sounds of battle. Aqune and Hunter ordered their spiders to jump on top of the wall to get a better view. What they saw was a shock. The four riders were standing back to back and were being surrounded by what looked like hundreds of machines.

Hunter readied three Oracle Keys but stopped when he was about to activate them. Quake's words rang through his head. "Fighting is wrong," Quake kept saying over and over. Then he looked at the battlefield. 'These things are machines,' he thought, trying to reason with the voice. 'They are not alive and therefore I am not destroying life. I am not using the Oracle's power to kill anyone. These machines do not hold any life or soul whatsoever.' That seemed to work because the voice shut up. Hunter looked at Aqune and put his finger to his lips, the universal sign for "quiet."

He held up the keys and whispered, "Oracle's Light!" His armor toughened and four spider leg-like prongs came out of the armor on his back. His lance turned into something like a sword. Shadow turned into something human-like. He could stand on two legs now and had two arms to use. When the transformation was over, Hunter staggered a bit.

"Are you okay, Hunter?" Shadow asked. Aqune looked over at him her purple eyes concerned.

"I'm fine, Shadow," Hunter answered firmly, readying the Oracle Keys' special move. The Oracle Keys had special moves according to how many are used. If only one is used, the special move is Electra Twist; two, Blue Bolt; three, Blue Wave; four, an extremely strong version of Blue Wave or Rainbow Whip. "You ready?" he whispered to his new partner.

"Always," his partner answered softly. Hunter nodded and carefully aimed so he wouldn't hit one of his friends.

"Blue Wave!" Hunter called, loud now.

Igneous, Prince Lumen, Sparkle, and Magma looked up at the walls as a blue flash of light destroyed the Rods around them. A figure was standing in the sunlight. The sunlight was too bright to identify the person. It appeared as a shadow. The spider the person was standing on jumped off the wall as the keys removed themselves from the pair's bodies, obscuring their forms even more.

They landed as the light faded, revealing Hunter and Shadow. Aqune followed them shortly thereafter. "Hunter!" Prince Lumen exclaimed in his laid back voice. "What an excellent supplies." Igneous gave Hunter a look.

"As pleasant as it is to not be destroyed, it is also unpleasant for a certain injured pair to be out here before he's healed," Igneous muttered, clearly upset. Hunter grinned.

"What?" he said. "Would you have rather been destroyed by the army?" Igneous rolled his eyes and said nothing as he turned away. Hunter just smiled wider and said, "Well, what're we waiting for? Let's destroy some robots." Magma was grinning wildly.

"On your orders, leader," he said. Hunter nodded his smile more like a smirk now.

"Charge!" Hunter yelled. The spiders with their riders ran forward.

"Get them in the center of their chests," Aqune said. "It's their weak point."

Igneous, overhearing this, added to this bit of knowledge, "They're a bit tougher now. It takes a few blows to the chest to fully defeat them."

"Or an Oracle Key or two," Hunter said almost casually. Now he even had Igneous grinning. They attacked the army, ready for anything. Including the Rods melding together to create a rather large Rod. Hunter looked at it and smirked. 'A piece of cake,' he thought.

The machine's large hand came down and smacked Hunter while he was distracted by his thoughts. Shadow, who'd been quiet since arriving, exclaimed, "Hunter!" The blow would've been fine if Hunter had been in better condition but now the blow knocked him out.

The riders began attacking the machine, hoping Hunter would revive and use the Oracle Keys. They were barely making a dent. Hunter groaned and rolled to his side, holding his chest where the machine had hit him. He opened his eyes and looked at the battle raging around him. The Spider Riders were losing. Hunter jumped onto Shadow, doing a flip in the process. Gymnastics came in handy for him. "Are you alright?" Shadow asked.

"I'm fine. Now let's ride!" Hunter said while holding all four Oracle Keys up. "Oracle's Light!" he called, activating the keys. The armor change was the same as the three keys transformation but a whole heck of a lot tougher. Aiming at the center of this huge Rod's chest he called, "Rainbow Whip!" Shadow and Hunter had just collided with the Rod when Hunter's lance began to glow. Turning it around him, he sliced down through the oversized machine with a whip-like piece of light.

The machine crashed to the ground as Hunter and Shadow landed softly behind it. The riders raced towards their leader. Hunter turned and gave everyone a thumb's up. Smiling, he said, "Now that's Arachnia Power!"

**Author's Note- This is probably the longest chapter in the entire thing with one of the cheesiest endings. It had 2519 words without this little note. The other chapters should be up soon seeing as they're a little shorter. That also depends on school, too. Ugh, school eats my soul. I'll try to update this weekend. Comment please. Comments good or bad only make me better. I have up to Chapter 8 written and part of Chapter 9. And I'm going to probably start using bad language soon hence why it's T. I have most of the plot in my head but I wouldn't mind any suggestions. I probably won't be updating next weekend but defiantly the week after if homework is light. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

_*Hides under a table* Uh....Hi?...AH! *dodges rotten tomato* I'm sorry! It's not my fault that Kingdom Hearts is so freaking addicting! Not to mention I didn't like the beginning of this chapter so I rewrote it like 5 bazillion times. I'll make it up to you somehow. How about cookies?! *Silence* I'll take that as a yes. Enjoy the newly revised Chapter 4._

_Disclaimer: Anime4life5 does not own Spider Riders. Only the plot and the O.C's. _

Chapter 4

The Oracle Keys' power faded from Hunter's body. He held up his weapon. Everyone did as he did. "Rider Out!" they called in unison. Hunter smiled. He was back in business. He sat down on Shadow, unable to stand any longer. If he didn't sit on Shadow he probably would've been facing a humiliating faint.

He laid back a little and let out a long, low whistle. "Man, I'm beat," he said. Igneous shook his head, obviously concerned. Everyone else was, concerned that is.

"Well then," Igneous started. "Let's get you back to Arachna Castle." Hunter nodded.

"That sounds good to me. Let's stop for lunch on the way, too. I still haven't eaten today." Both Aqune and Igneous rolled their eyes and started ahead on their spiders. Lumen followed shortly thereafter.

"Don't you mean breakfast, Hunter?" Magma asked. "It _is_ almost morning."

"Oh, yea." Hunter then attempted to stand only to fall back on Shadow, clutching his chest. He suffered in silence for a bit before accepting the relief of darkness. Magma saw this from the corner of his eye. He then analyzed the other riders progress. Igneous and Aqune were farther ahead with Lumen attempting to catch up.

"Prince Lumen!" he called, seeing no other riders closer than him. Lumen turned towards the call.

"What?" he yelled back.

"Come back here and bring Igneous and Aqune with you." Lumen turned towards Igneous and Aqune and briefly conversed with them. All three of them turned together and came back.

"What happened?" Igneous asked upon seeing Hunter out cold.

"He tried to stand and something made him double over in pain, causing him to pass out." Shadow was silent in an, 'I told you so' sort of manner. Igneous rolled his eyes at his leader's stupidity.

"Hunter, sometimes you can be so dense," he said to himself. Aqune looked guilty. It was partially her fault that Hunter had gotten hurt in the first place.

"I shouldn't of let him come," Aqune whispered brokenly. Everyone turned their attention to her. "Despite his claims to being fine I saw the truth in his eyes. To me, he looked tired and in pain. He was desperately trying to hide it. I shouldn't of allowed him to fight." She looked down. "I should of tried to stop him but I couldn't bring myself to."

"Be glad you didn't stop him, Aqune," Magma said, trying to cheer her up. "Do you think that we'd still be here if it wasn't for Hunter?" Everyone was paying attention to this conversation except Lumen who was looking around curiously. He seemed to be searching for someone.

"Where's Sparkle?!?!" he asked. "Where's my sister?" Everyone's eyes widened. Nobody had seen the young princess since the fight. They began to look around. Lumen's fingers played across his manacle as he opened a communication line to his sister's manacle. "Sparkle," he called into his manacle. "Come in Sparkle!"

"Lumen!" Sparkle's voice called through the manacle.

"Where are you, Sparkle?"

"Lumen! Help me!" Her voice sounded frightened.

"Sparkle, where are you? I can't help you until I know where you are." Despite the situation, his voice was calm.

"I don't know where I am but the scary psychic got me while you were fighting that huge Rod." Lumen's eyes widened. "Oh, Lumen," Sparkle sobbed. "They've tied Hotarla up." Hunter groaned as he stirred. His eyes cracked open. Igneous kneeled at his side and put his hand on Hunter's shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he whispered. Hunter nodded and glanced towards Lumen.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Sparkle's been captured." Hunter's eyes widened. They heard a squeak from Lumen's manacle.

"Hello, Spider Riders," Melinda's cold voice snarled through the manacle.

"Where are you? Where have you taken my sister, you...you bitch!" Lumen yelled, his voice shaking with anger. His protective instincts were kicking in.

"Don't worry. You'll get your little princess back safely once I get what I want."

"Well, what's that?"

"A battle with Hunter Steele. I'll take him in her place if he loses and if he wins...I'll leave empty handed."

"We can't do that!" Lumen exclaimed. "He's still injured and, because of you, he's not at his best by a long shot."

"Are you declining my offer?" They heard a high pitched scream.

"Sparkle!" Hunter swallowed and very carefully and slowly stood up only to double back over in pain as the bruise on his chest complained about his movements.

"Let me see," Igneous whispered. Hunter, careful not to upset the bruise, removed his shirt. Igneous let out a low whistle. "Wow! That Rod really got you, didn't he?" There was a black bruise extending from is right shoulder to his left hip. It was swollen and there was broken skin scattered throughout the bruise.

Aqune kneeled down with Igneous. If she was concerned when she saw the bruise she hid that along with shock. She then pressed her hands onto his chest. Hunter flinched and winced from the sudden pressure. Aqune began to glow purple with the Oracle's power. The pain slowly faded from the bruise. Hunter let out a sigh of relief. Aqune removed her hands. The bruise was still there but the pain was gone. "That's all I can do for now," she said to him. "Maybe when that heals on its own for a bit I can heal it completely."

"Thanks, Aqune," Hunter whispered. He stood up. Though he was a little unsteady on his feet, he jumped off Shadow and walked over to Lumen. He grabbed Lumen's manacle arm and took the manacle off of his wrist. He then said, "I'll do it," into the manacle. Needless to say this caused surprised looks from every rider.

"But Hunter!" Magma cried.

"But nothing," Hunter snapped. "I'm tired of you guys saying what I can and cannot do. I'm your leader remember and I should know if I'm incapable of doing something."

"But you're not ready!" Igneous said. "You're hut and you know it."

"I don't need you as my mother Igneous. My own parents died years ago and I haven't needed a parent in a while. I can take care of myself." Tears sprang to his eyes at the mention of his parents. This news came as a shock to everyone. They hadn't actually been sure why he had come to the Inner World. Now they knew. Aqune, knowing what it was like to be without parents, gave him a hug.

"Oh, Hunter. We had no idea," she whispering. He hugged her back, needing the comfort, as a tear ran down his cheek. He then pushed her away and moved the manacle to his mouth.

"I'll do it," he repeated.

"Good," Melinda replied back. "Meet me at the outside of the Shrine of the Oracle in an hour. Don't be late. I'm so looking forward to this battle." The communication line snapped off. He returned the manacle to Lumen and jumped on Shadow, wiping his eyes.

"Let's ride!" he called.

_Corney ending! YES!! Just kidding. I promise the endings will get better from now on. Oh noes. Sparkle's been captured! And Lumen was the first to snap and swear. He actually has a protective side. Yeah.....Next chapter you get a big fight between Melinda and Hunter that reveals a lot about Hunter and his horribly depressing past. I'll give you a quote:_

_'Something's very wrong.' -Shadow. _

_I'm not going to promise anything about the next update because look what happened this time. Oh and feel free to ask questions in comments I will answer them at the end of chapters. Comment!_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey everybody! Back again. This is pretty soon too. I guess I have extra time because I'm sick. Well, I decided to bring Hunter in for the disclaimer. Hunter?**_

**Hunter: Anime4ife5 does not own Spider Riders. Only the plot and the O.C's. If she did own it, then...(breaks off suddenly from a kick to the shin)**

_**Um let's not go there. If we go there then the readers will get scarred for life.**_

**Hunter: Oww. What was that for? you said it yourself that you're a crazy...**

_**(covers Hunter's mouth) Hunter no swearing from you. That's apparently Lumen's job. Drop the subject.**_

**Hunter: (voice muffled) You **_**are**_** evil. You're **_**way**_** too good at creating villains. You even turn me...**

_**(Throws him into a closet and locks it) I told you not to say anything. Jeez you can't keep your mouth shut can you? Here's chapter 5. Enjoy.**_

_**--**_

Chapter 5

The ride to the shrine was deathly quiet. No one spoke a word. Hunter was preparing himself for the battle ahead. He could only hope that Melinda would allow the Oracle Keys. Without the Keys, he may be fighting a battle he could never win. He went over some strategies in his head. None of them involving the keys. Hunter was skilled at wielding his lance. It took a year but he had finally mastered it.

A completely unrelated thought went through his head. 'When is my next birthday?' he thought. 'Is time down here the same as time down Earth?' The last time he had celebrated his birthday it had done it alone. His only sibling was off in Florida on some vacation with a friend. Hunter was all the way across the country in California. His grandfather, Digger Steele, had just died and Hunter was alone in an empty house. His closet family either dead or across the country. His parents had died when he was six and his grandfather had died a few days before his 13th birthday. That's when he had decided to locate and enter the Inner World.

He was sitting cross- legged on Shadow, watching the scenery pass. He leaned back to look at the sky. The clouds that disrupted the purity of the sky rumbled slightly and those noises gave Hunter the chills.

He must have dozed off between looking at the sky and arriving because the next thing he remembered was Aqune shaking him awake. "Wake up, Hunter," she whispered. His eyes snapped open. He sat up and looked around. The rocky mountains rose up around him. They had already arrived. He looked at Aqune.

"How long was I out?" he asked in a quiet tone.

"For about a half an hour," she answered. "Somebody would've woken you up sooner but I convinced them that you needed your rest." Hunter didn't respond. He just rolled his eyes and looked away. This stuff was starting to get on his nerves. He stood up quickly, a thought suddenly occurring to him.

"Is she already here?" he asked, referring to Melinda. Aqune shook her head. Hunter sighed in relief, grateful for the moments to prepare. He jumped off Shadow and crouched in front of him. "You ready, old pal?"

"Who you calling old? And yea, I am, Hunter," Shadow responded. Hunter nodded and stood back up. He held up his blue manacle and yelled, "Arachna Power!" His armor spread across his body and his lance appeared in front of him. He stuck it into the ground and did the weirdest thing. He took out the keys and gave them to Igneous.

"Hunter, don't you need these?" Igneous asked, holding up the keys. Hunter shook his head.

"No, I'm going to fight a fair fight. No Oracle Keys. And I don't want to risk putting them in Melinda's possession if I lose." Igneous nodded and tucked them away.

Melinda arrived by a machine transport. It looked like the Rods except larger and it could hold people. Sparkle lay on the floor next to Melinda on the transport. It was obvious that the princess was unconscious. Lumen turned red with anger. Before Melinda said one word to the riders, Lumen yelled, "I thought you said that she was going to be unharmed!" Melinda smiled evilly.

"Well, I guess I lied," she said, her tone cold. Lumen looked ready to tear the psychic to shreds. He most certainly would have if Hunter had not put his hand on the prince's shoulder. Lumen looked back at him. Hunter shook his head. Then he stood in front of Lumen, his lance in hand.

Hunter looked at his new enemy. He was shocked by how she looked. She wasn't attractive in that sense but she was familiar to Hunter. Through the descriptions from his friends he hadn't expected this shock. He shook the thoughts from his head. This was serious. I he lost, his very life could be on the line. "Stop instigating my comrades, Melinda," Hunter said. "It's me you want."

Her eyes focused on his face. "Hunter Steele," she said. "So we finally meet." Her eyes flicked up and down his body. "You're not what I expected." She smiled. "This should be easy. I expected someone more experienced. Someone worthy of holding the Oracle Keys." This didn't even phase Hunter. He had heard the same thing many times before.

He just smiled back at her. "I'm sorry, Melinda, but if that's what you think then I'm going to have to prove to you what my true power is. Without the Keys." Melinda's jaw dropped. He wasn't going to use the keys. "I would advise against using your powers here. This is going to be a test of power and skill, not a test of how well you can use gifted objects or powers. I'll even keep Shadow out of the ring."

Shadow objected as Hunter knew he would. "Hunter, you know our power is at its best as a team," Shadow said. "Why are you keeping me out of the fight?" Hunter was prepared for this. He had actually thought this through.

"Shadow, this is a one on one, not a two on one. This needs to be fair. Okay? You of all people, uh spiders, understand that." Shadow sighed.

"Fine."

"Thank you." He turned into Melinda. "Let's do this!"

_**Gah! Not another corny ending. Oh and I also lied about that quote, that's actually the next chapter. I guess that I decided that I would be off by a chapter. Well. Hunter's acting all noble and leader-like. Oh my, this cannot end well. (suddenly winces from the sudden knocking in the closet.) Crap did I forget to let him out? Whatever. He deserves to stay in there longer. **_

**TL-chan: **_**Thanks for your support. Hope you like his defensiveness in this chapter too. It's really fun to write him as something other than lazy. **_

_**Jeez two updates in one day. Being sick has its advantages. I feel like crap though. Maybe update on Monday if I'm not in school. Comment!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**DA: Hey guys. Back again. Sorry for the delay. I hate it when life catches up to me. I'm ignoring the long Author's note today and I'm just going to go right to the chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: DarkAngel555 does not own Spider Riders. Just her O.C.'s.**_

_**(Yes... I changed my name...)**_

--

**Chapter 6**

The transport Melinda was using stretched out into a ring type arena. Blue shielding came up from the poles sticking out from four corners of the large square. Hunter jumped inside, ready for anything. He brought his double bladed lance into ready position where it crossed in front of him.

He kept his eyes on the black haired woman in front of him. She drew her black blade. The blade itself was terrifying but Hunter didn't react. He already knew that this wasn't going to be easy. She ran at him. Hunter raised his lance to protect himself from the attack but as Melinda neared, she jumped up into the air and sliced from above. Hunter blocked and she landed hard on the ground next to him, their weapons still caught in the clash. The force that came behind the clash was enormous. 'She's strong,' he thought, sweat starting to form from the effort of keeping her blade connected with his.

The clash was in front of their bodies. Melinda's arms began to shake with the effort she was using to try and get him. He cut off from the connection and almost hit her in the process. She unfortunately jumped away.

Melinda watched as the blade of is lance passed her face only a centimeter away from her nose. She blinked. 'He's fast and strong,' she thought. 'I didn't expect this. How is he moving so easily and well in the condition he's in?' As if he read her mind, Hunter sprang at her again once she landed. She blocked and Hunter twirled, whipping his lance around the other way and struck her other side. Her eyes narrowed as she got her sword under his lance and pushed him off of her.

A flash of lightning ran through the sky. Thunder followed shortly thereafter. Hunter flinched and glanced at the sky. It was black. He went cold and took a shaky breath in. He looked back at his enemy, suddenly nervous. Shadow, watching everything from outside the ring, noticed this. Shadow focused on Hunter's hands and arms. They were shaking. 'Something's wrong,' he thought. 'Something's very wrong.'

Melinda and Hunter stood very still. Hunter kept his gaze focused on Melinda, trying to ignore the outside storm. Melinda watched him with interest. She studied the way he moved now, the shakiness of his movements. Hunter knew that he was shaking and was doing his best to stop it. His arms were at his sides with his lance in his right hand. Though he was trying not to show, he was terrified. Right now, he needed to be strong. Any loss in concentration could mean his doom.

A lightning bolt struck behind Melinda, bringing him back to his old house in Illinois about seven years ago...

_It was a warm day and Hunter and his sister were playing in their large front yard. The sky was getting dark but that didn't worry the twins. Storms came often. What got their attention was the sudden bright flash of lightning, the extremely loud boom of thunder, and the tinkering of a bell in the distance. Fear filled the six year olds._

_Their parents were running towards them in the distance. They were yelling to their children, but their voices could not yet reach the twins' ears. Elaine Steele was almost panicking. Her children were in danger and right now all she could do was yell. She was very attractive. Her fiery red hair was cropped to her shoulders in layers. Her eyes were a fierce green and the color reflected her brave and protective nature. _

_Their father, Richard Steele, was terrified though he refused to show it. His light brown hair was long enough for his signature shaggy look but it was a natural length for a male. His brilliant blue eyes had a confident flair to them. He, too, was concerned for the welfare of his children. _

_Hunter looked at his parents. "Hey sis," he called, turning towards his sister nervously. "What's going on?" His sister, who was near tears, just shook her head. Their parents were finally within earshot. _

"_Hunter!" his mother called. She only called him because she knew that his sister would not do well under stress. Hunter looked at her. "Get your sister to the underground shelter over there." She pointed to a set of doors embedded in the earth. "Your father and I will be there soon."_

"_Sis!" Hunter said. His sister looked up at him. "Follow me!" He started running towards the shelter. The wind was starting to pick up. When he got to the doors, he tried to open them but they were too heavy. "Help me!" he called to his sibling. She still remained silent, but together they were able to get one door open. Hunter then remembered something. "Mom! Get Lucy!!" Lucy was their golden retriever. _

_Elaine stopped and called back to the house. The sky continued to get darker, it almost had a green tint now. The dog was running towards its owner. Their mom said something else to her then she bounded towards Hunter and his too silent sister. His mother and father started running again. _

_They were only a few feet away when lightning struck again, but this time it hit the two tallest things in the area: their parents. The twins watched in horror as their mother and father fell to the ground and lay there motionless. The wind was picking up speed and before long, a tornado formed. The news hadn't fully set in yet in Hunter's mind so he moved to shut the door. "Wait," his sister said. She called for Lucy and they attempted to drag their parents into the shelter. _

"_Sis, no!" She didn't listen. The whirlwind was getting closer. His sister was still trying to get their parents inside. The dog had brought in their dad and was helping his sister with their mom. Eventually both parents were safely inside. The tornado was getting dangerously close now. Seeing this, Hunter pulled with all his might to get the door shut. When he did, it closed way to fast and slammed onto his head and everything went black._

"Hunter! Wake up!" a voice called.

"_Hunter, please wake up." his sister said._

He opened his eyes to the blue arena. All the Spider Riders were surrounding him. "Mom," he whispered weakly.

"What's his temperature?" Igneous asked. The only reason he asked this was because lately, they've been having a little problem with Hunter and fevers. He felt a hand on his forehead.

"High," Aqune answered. Hunter was pulling himself out of whatever state he had just been in.

"Can he fight?" Lumen asked nervously, worrying about his sister.

"Probably not," Aqune answered.

"Sorry, Melinda," Shadow said. "We're going to have to postpone this fight." Hunter felt more like himself now.

"No," he said, sitting up. "I'll finish her off now." He stood up.

"What?!?! Hunter you're not well," Aqune argued.

"I don't care. It's my job to finish to defend Arachna by any means necessary. And that means I need to finish her off. I'm your leader and that's what I say. Any questions?" Everyone backed up, getting out of his way. "Let's finish this Melinda!"

She pulled her sword in front of her. Hunter grabbed his lance from where it had fell when he'd collapsed. They circled around each other. The storm continued to rumble around them. This time, Hunter didn't pay it any mind. He'd found a new purpose. Melinda broke their circle and crossed the arena to attack. Hunter blocked her easily and pushed her off just as easily.

'Did he just get stronger?' she thought. Hunter lunged, his blade aimed at her chest and Melinda jumped away. She landed behind him and brought her sword down to slice him across the back. Surprisingly, he turned and blocked. A new light was burning in his green eyes. She tried another assault to the head but Hunter ducked right under her blade and dragged his lance across her chest. He then slid away.

A hiss escaped the psychic's lips. She clutched at her chest were the injury was. Her eyes narrowed and she charged again. Hunter simply sidestepped, grabbed her arm, and pulled it, sending her crashing into the ground. Her black sword skidded way from her hand. She sat up to go retrieve her blade but froze when the sharp bite of cold metal touched her throat. Melinda closed her eyes and waited for the finishing blow. Hunter's blade withdrew from her neck and she tensed. The blow never came. She opened her eyes and looked up at the Spider Rider. His face was fixed in a scowl and his lance was next to him.

"Consider yourself defeated," Hunter said. "I'll spare your life only because killing gets us nowhere." He grabbed the cuff of her shirt and lifted her up, not at all acting like himself. "But if you ever show your face around here again, I may not think twice."

"How?" she asked. He smiled.

"I've found a new purpose. A new reason why to fight. I'm going to try and stop people from feeling the loss of a loved one because of people like you. Now go away before I change my mind." He threw her back on the ground and she scrambled up. Hunter jumped out of the arena as it disappeared. The rain soaked his uniform. The strength that was flowing through his body was draining out of him. He could feel his fever now. He turned to face the riders as Melinda left. They looked absolutely astounded.

"How...?" Igneous asked. Hunter blinked a few times, trying to clear his head. He was swaying on his feet.

"Not now," he answered as darkness fell over him once more.

--

_**DA: How'd you guys like that? I apologize for the long wait. After my exams, I put this story on the top of my priorities list. I hope that I can update quicker. That was a little taste of Hunter's past. Hope you like the battle. I've been doing my best to make the battle scenes up to par. With any luck, I'll update soon. **_

_**Oh and any of you who have played Kingdom Hearts before, I have a fic up about that. How's that for shameless advertisement? Anyway, for the second one of my KH series, I'm thinking about crossing KH with Spider Riders. I**_

_**And who wants me to make a sequel of this story after it's done? Please tell me. I have a poll up on my profile about this. **_

_**May your hearts stay strong,**_

_**DarkAngel555 **_


	7. Chapter 7

_Wow...I was just scanning through the other chapters of this story and I realized that I need to start checking this stuff over. I counted numerous errors. Stupid ones too. Well, whatever. I thank all who review this story and a special thanks to TL-Chan who is a consistent and loyal reviewer. Anyways....On to the chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't get the point of these. I seriously doubt that anybody on this site actually owns the stuff they write about. They don't, that is, unless the writer is an author or director in disguise who decided to screw with us. I DON'T OWN SPIDER RIDERS (no matter how much I plea for ownership)!!!_ _Did you get that?_

_*Warning* A little angst in Hunter but it only lasts for a little while, mostly because of the memory of his parents' deaths. _

--

**Chapter 7**

"_Hunter, wake up!" his sister's voice pleaded. He opened his eyes to a darkly lit room. His sister, Blaze, had lit a candle to brighten the darkness a bit. The lack of wind and thunder above the ground told Hunter that the storm was over. _

"_Blaze?" he whispered, his head jumbled. _

"_Yea," she answered. _

"_What's going on?" _

"_You hit your head closing the door. The storm is over and mom and dad still haven't woken up." Her voice was thick with fear and worry. _

"_Have you called 9-1-1 like we're supposed to do in an emergency?" _

"_Yea, I did. Right after the door was shut I called. They're on their way." Hunter nodded. He sat up and almost passed out again because of dizziness. "Hunter? Are you okay?" _

"_Yea." He stood and immediately leaned up against the nearest wall. Blaze eyed him. _

"_Are you sure you're alright?" Hunter didn't answer, he was focused on not passing out. Just then, a voice called to them from outside the door. _

"_Where are you?" a voice called. Hunter and Blaze looked at each other quickly, grins spreading momentarily across their faces. _

"_We're in here!" they called in unison. The door creaked open. The light was blinding to the young children. When the momentary blindness passed, a woman, wearing a paramedic's uniform, was standing in the doorway. _

"_Are you kids alright?" the paramedic said, eying the twins._

"_Well, I'm fine, I don't know about Hunter, and our parents haven't woken up yet," Blaze said, her voice slightly strained. Though they had been hit by lightning, both twins hoped that their parents were alright. _

"_Hunter's your brother, right?" Blaze nodded, her eyes flicking to her brother quickly before locking back on the paramedic. "What's wrong with him?"_

"_When he shut the door by himself, it closed too quickly and knocked him on the head." Her voice shook nervously. The woman frowned slightly._

"_Come here, Hunter," she said. "Let's check that head of yours." She was good at working with kids. Hunter hesitated before moving towards the paramedic. He relied heavily on the wall in order to move. He eventually made it up the stairs and he felt Blaze's eyes on his back. The paramedic had seen all she had needed to see. Instead of making him walk the rest of the way, she walked over to him and picked him up. _

_She carried him to the ambulance. Blaze followed. There were people standing around the car. Apparently, she had gone first to make sure everything was safe. "There are still two more people in there," she said to her crew. "I've got to check this one. He hit his head and he can't stand properly." The paramedics left. _

_The women set him down on the edge of the open ambulance. She then began checking his head over. "Ah hah! Here it is." She pressed down on a point on his head. A sharp pain lanced through his head. Hunter yelped, more shocked than hurt. _

"_Stop!" Blaze yelled. "You're hurting him." The lady smiled at her._

"_I know. I needed to find where the door hit your brother." She jumped off of the car and looked at Hunter. "That's quite a bump you've got there." _

"_Yea," he agreed, rubbing his head where she'd pushed. The rest of her team returned with one stretcher held between them. The parent on the stretcher was their father. He had numerous burns on his skin. _

"_Weren't there two people down there?" the lady asked. One of the medics shook his head 'no.' Her eyebrows furrowed, but then shrugged and walked over. Hunter and Blaze watched as the woman's head lowered slightly and turned towards the twins, not masking the sadness in her eyes. Hunter knew that something was wrong. "I'm sorry, Hunter, Blaze, but your father is dead."_

_--_

Hunter sat up, his heart pounding. He scanned the dark room to find that he was alone. It's been a while since he'd seen that memory. Tears leaked out of his eyes against his will. His mom and dad...He hadn't seen their faces since that fateful day. He went to his father's grave before he'd begun to search for the Inner World. His mother was still missing though he distinctly remembered Blaze and their dog dragging their mother into the shelter.

He pulled his knees into his chest and pressed his head to them, his tears soaking his sweatpants. Shadow, currently in manacle space, heard the movement. The battle spider was worried for his rider. "Hunter?" he asked. He wasn't even sure that Hunter was awake.

"Shadow?" Hunter asked back, his voice cracking. Shadow strained his eyes in order to see his rider in this dark room. Hunter was sitting up in bed, his legs pulled up, and his head hovering over his knees, looking towards his bedside table. Tears on his face glittered in the scanty lighting.

"Hunter, what's wrong?" Hunter _never_ cried, so something had to be wrong. He saw Hunter swallow and wipe his tears.

"Nothing, Shadow. I'm fine." Shadow sighed impatiently.

"You are not. You were crying." Since it was dark, Shadow missed Hunter's glare. "Okay, fine, if you're not going to tell me then go back to sleep." Hunter sighed as he lowered himself back on his mattress.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered as he dropped off into slumber. Igneous walked in as Hunter fell asleep.

Noticing that the person he was going to check on was asleep, he instead whispered, "How's Hunter?"

"Not sure," he answered. "He woke up a few minutes ago, crying silently. I just convinced him to go back to sleep." The Spider Rider's commander nodded.

"Okay." He placed the back of his hand on Hunter's forehead and pulled away quickly. "Temp's still high." Shadow had already assumed as much.

"How's Sparkle?"

"Still recovering. She feels guilty about whatever has happened to Hunter." There was a yell in the room next door. "Oh, Corona's up."

"Really? Huh, you'd think I would've heard, she's right next door."

"Don't worry about it. You've had other things on your mind. She should be released later today."

"That's good. Igneous, shouldn't you be out protecting Arachna? There are only three riders actually able to fight. Lumen's too worried about Sparkle, Corona hasn't been released yet, Sparkle's self explanatory, and who knows what's wrong with Hunter." Igneous sighed.

"Good point. I'll be leaving then. Call me if things change."

"Will do." Igneous left, leaving Shadow to worry about his rider in peace.

--

Melinda knelt stiffly in front of her master, still sore from her battle with Hunter. "My Lord, Hunter is a lot stronger then we first anticipated. He was able to beat me without the keys," she reported, her voice tense. Her master was not one to accept failure and in this case his bite was worse than his bark. "But, I found something interesting about him. Something that could be used against him."

"Well what is it?" her master snarled impatiently. Melinda flinched.

"He would do absolutely anything for his friends. A trait apparently shared by all those annoying riders."

"Hm... A useful bit of knowledge." The psychic could hear the thoughtfulness in his voice. She guessed what he might be thinking.

"Do you want me to take control of Corona, sir?"

"Yes." There was a slight pause. "But wait a little longer before you use her. Let Hunter recover from this victory, because it shall be his last."

--

Corona found herself anxiously waiting for the doctor to finish analyzing her wound and release her from this prison. She really wanted to go see Hunter. From what Igneous had said, he was pretty bad off. His fever refused to go away.

The doctor finally finished his examination. "You're free to go," he said. Corona sprang up and ran outside. As usual, there were people rustling about, going on with their usual chores. Igneous nearly crashed into her as she was walking next door to Hunter's room.

"Hi, Corona," he said quickly. He locked eyes with her, relief evident on his face.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Hunter's up and he's finally acting normal which could mean he's finally on the way to recovery." He pushed the door open for her. She walked inside, a small smile playing on her lips. Hunter was sitting up on his bed, staring off into space. He looked at her as she walked in and grinned.

"Hey, you're up. I was beginning to think that you would never wake up," he said. He looked absolutely horrible. He was pale and looked like he'd lost weight that he couldn't afford to lose. His clothes hung loosely on him. On his right shoulder, she could see a dark bruise that looked extremely painful. Despite all of this, Hunter's eyes were shining brightly.

Igneous followed her in. "I should say the same thing about you," he said. Hunter rolled his eyes. Corona pushed Igneous gently.

"Leave him alone, Igneous." She turned back towards Hunter. "What Igneous is trying to say is that we're glad you're alright."

"Hunter?" Shadow asked from within Hunter's manacle. "Why did you collapse once the storm started?" Hunter's emerald eyes dulled and he looked down.

"N...No reason," he said, obviously lying through his teeth. "I guess my condition caught up with me."

"Liar," Shadow accused. "What's wrong?" The rider's leader bit his lip.

"I...uh...My parents died in a thunderstorm and since then I've always been terrified of them. I'm not really sure why I passed out." He looked up suddenly, his eyes blazing with fury. "Get out," he said scarily calm. Igneous and Corona stood there dumbly as if struck. "I said get out!" he yelled, his fever influencing his emotions. "I bet you're happy knowing that your leader's a coward. Now, leave!" He then tore his blue manacle off of his wrist and threw it at Igneous who caught it easily. "Take Shadow with you!"

"But Hunter..." Corona started.

"I said GET OUT!" They complied quickly and shut the door behind them, slightly scared by their leader's sudden outburst. A crash of a vase breaking could be heard inside Hunter's room. Corona shot Igneous a 'what have we done' look.

Later that evening, when Igneous thought Hunter had cooled down a little, he went inside his room to return his manacle. "What do you want?" Hunter asked when he heard Igneous enter. His voice was muffled by the pillow his head was buried in.

"I came to return your manacle," he answered. When Hunter didn't respond, he continued, "And to apologize. We had no reason to pry."

"Put my manacle on the table next to my bed." Igneous did as directed and sat on the end of Hunter's bed.

"Can you accept my apology?" Hunter glanced up at Igneous, lifting his head a little bit so he could see. He sighed and flipped himself over.

"Apology accepted." Igneous smiled quickly.

"Thank you." Igneous eyed Hunter. He didn't look any better than he did earlier today. If anything, he looked worse. "You know, Hunter, you've got to stop playing around with your health. That was the second time this week you could've died on us." Hunter smirked at his concern.

"I know." Igneous rolled his eyes.

"You know, huh? Then make me a promise. Allow yourself to rest and regain your strength until you're fully healed." It was Hunter's turn to roll his eyes.

"Fine if I must agree with you, then I promise. But the moment that Arachna's in serious danger..."

"No!" Igneous cut him off. "No loopholes. You stay here and recover. We'll do all the work. And if I catch you out of here then I'm locking you in the infirmary until you have healed." Hunter winced, not liking that at all. A messenger came into the room and whispered into Igneous' ear. His hazel eyes widened. "Okay, thank you." The messenger left. Hunter gave Igneous a curious glance. "That was a report from Lumen. Corona's gone missing."

--

_Tehehehe... cliffhangers. They make me happy. Uh... sorry about the cliffhanger to those who don't enjoy them. It was just calling out to me. Before I say goodbye I have a question for you: How long does it take for someone to kill a spider? _

_My answer is an hour...with me __**and**__ my brother trying to kill it. Amusing, huh? Here's a random thing I found out today. The definition of manacle. It makes no sense for its use in Spider Riders. Here's the definition: manacle (n)-an iron ring on a chain that is put around the wrist or ankle of a prisoner. _

_Interesting, isn't it? Well, I've got to go. I'm catching the midnight premier of __**Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince**__. YES!!!!!!!! I'm proud to be a Harry Potter fangirl! I refuse to write a fanfic about it, though. That series has been tortured enough. See you soon._

_May your hearts stay strong_

_DarkAngel555_

_(Oh, sorry about me freaking out during the disclaimer. I was a little bored.)_


	8. Chapter 8

_DA: HEY AGAIN MY FANS!!!!!!!! *crickets* Yea...Sorry about the lateness of this chapter... I meant to put it up earlier..._

_Sora: You mean you meant to put it up on your birthday in September. _

_DA: SHUT IT! You're not even supposed to be in this fic. GET OUT!! *Sora, my current muse, sulks out* Okay then... Enjoy the chapter._

_Disclaimer: **Insert something snappy to explain how I DON'T OWN Spider Riders**_

_--_

Chapter 8

Of course, Hunter wanted to go out right away to try and find her, but the promise he made to Igneous stopped him. There was no way, under any circumstances, that he would stay in the infirmary for more than five minutes. He would go insane. So, very reluctantly, he stayed in Arachna Castle, waiting anxiously for his body to heal.

Every day spent not searching only increased his stress. He longed to be out there, if only for a moment. All the other riders had done their share of searching but him. He felt that if he searched then he would find her. The other riders were constantly out fighting. This didn't help Hunter relax. Not at all. He felt he should be out there helping out any way he could. If Shadow noticed his anxiety, he never said anything.

Eventually, he was allowed out of bed but not out of his room. His time was spent pacing around. Eventually, Shadow had had it with this nervous habit and told him to sit. He sat but, he still didn't relax. He hadn't had time to relax since he first arrived in the Inner World. It had been battle after battle with him. It had lead him to becoming the leader. Being the leader of the Spider Riders was no easy task. It required constant thought and caused tons of worry. Hunter was under loads of stress everyday. Something no teen should have to deal with. So now that he was taken out of the battles, he did the only thing he could do: worry.

Two weeks went by painfully slow. On the last day of the second week, a doctor entered Hunter's room. Hunter was lying on his bed, throwing a ball up into the air and catching it. The sudden entrance made Hunter break his concentration and the ball fell to the floor next to the bed. "I'm here on Igneous' orders to complete your final examination," the man announced.

"Okay..." Hunter answered, sitting up. The examination began. Hunter did everything the doctor asked him to. The boy didn't know whether to be excited or nervous for the outcome of this. He wanted to be out in the field but all this relaxing had probably slowed his reflexes and knocked him out of shape. He decided on heading to the training grounds before doing any searching.

The doctor backed away after a little while. "You're free to go. I don't see anything that effects your health," he said, packing away a few of the tools he had brought with him. He turned and opened the door. "I'm going to tell Igneous." Hunter nodded.

"Okay," he said, gathering his own bag that was only used for the practice ring. "Tell him that if he needs me, I'll be in the training grounds." The doctor nodded before finally leaving. Hunter followed and locked the door to his room behind him. Locking the door wasn't a necessity, but it was a precaution. If the castle was taken by force, then maybe the enemy couldn't get into the rooms as easy as they could. He walked to the training grounds, nodding at the people he passed.

When he arrived, Lumen was there, actually practicing for once. He was furiously attacking a dummy stuffed with straw. His face was uncharacteristically fixed in a scowl. The prince looked over at him when he walked in. His eyes flashed anger. "You shouldn't be here," Lumen said coolly. "You should be resting."

"Not according to the physician that just checked me over," Hunter shot back, putting his bag and towel down near a bench. Lumen rolled his eyes and went back to beating the stuffing out of the practice dummy.

"Whatever." Hunter frowned upon seeing the prince's new, but unfriendly demeanor. He sat down, studying the teen closely.

"There's something eating away at your mind," the red head observed. "So what's up?"

"None of your business." Hunter frowned deeper,

"Is it Sparkle? Is something wrong with her?"

"No," the prince said slowly, sounding quite relieved. "She's fine." The red-head sighed and threw up his hands.

"I give up, Lumen. What's wrong?" Lumen glanced at the boy from the corner of his eyes before finally dropping his sword, sitting down on the bench, and putting his head in his hands.

"I'm losing the kingdom," he said quietly. "People don't want me as anymore." He snapped his head up before continuing. "They just want you!" He jabbed his finger into Hunter's chest. Hunter shook his head, chuckling.

"That's not my fault. I would never dethrone you, my prince." Lumen just sighed.

"I know and that's why I'm so frustrated. I know you would never do something like that. It's not you I'm mad at. It's the people." Hunter smiled.

"Don't worry about it, Lumen. I wouldn't accept the position if I was given it anyways. Me ruling something as big as a kingdom would end as a disaster." That got a laugh out of the blond.

"That's true. Thanks."

"Not a problem." Hunter, all of a sudden, broke out a wooden, practice sword. "Hey, want to spar? You know, get your mind off of this subject." Lumen smirked as he picked up his sword from where it had fallen.

"Of course." He charged at Hunter while he was unawares. The red-head jumped off the bench, flipping it over in the process. A smile spread across his face as the flurry of battle pushed away all else. All other thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind as he dodged another blow from Lumen and whacked the prince across the stomach, taking advantage of the opening.

All the air rushed out of the prince's mouth but a grin had finally made its way to his face. "Cheap shot!" he accused, gasping for air. Hunter finally laughed and when he did Lumen attacked again, aiming for the teen's shoulder. Hunter's waiting sword intercepted the blow.

"And you called my shot cheap," Hunter said with a grin. Lumen's grin widened. He lunged at the leader and Hunter blocked easily, but had to step back to do so. The prince stepped forward, slicing at his side, now acting on a plan that had sprang into his mind. The red-head blocked, as expected. He did not notice the wall was approaching quickly.

Lumen attacked again and again, all the while pressing forward in order to corner Hunter. Right before, Hunter had been pushed into the wall, he looked back to check his position. He smirked at the sight of the wall. As Lumen preformed the thrust that would push him into the wall, Hunter surprised him. He jumped into the air to dodge and then used the wall as a springboard. He sailed right over Lumen's head and flipped right before he landed. He landed gracefully with his sword out to his side.

Igneous walked in to find them in this heated battle. Sweat made their clothes stick to their bodies. Neither of them were willing to let the other gain ground. Lumen slashed downward and Hunter blocked and pushed, trying to knock the prince to the ground. They both looked up, studying the other's face. Then they burst out laughing at the other's determined face, but neither breaking the clash. "Sorry, Prince Lumen," Hunter said, gasping for air. "But this battle is over." At the prince's puzzled face, he slashed out of the clash, using all of his strength to do so.

Lumen skidded across the floor, the force causing him to lose his balance. Hunter stood over him, flicking the practice sword at the prince's throat. They shared a tense gaze before Hunter sat down next to the prince, laughing. Lumen soon joined him, sitting up. Igneous started applauding, amazed by the battle. "Nicely played, Hunter," he exclaimed. Hunter shrugged, picking himself up from the floor and holding a hand out to help Lumen to his feet.

"It was nothing," he said, breathing hard. He walked over to the place where he had left his towel and retrieved it. He started wiping the sweat off of his face. "I was just making sure that I didn't get rusty." Igneous rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"I don't think that's possible. You have your techniques wired into your brain by now, Hunter. Don't be stupid." Hunter glared at the tall Spider Rider.

"I just wanted to be sure," he stated, frowning. Lumen, who was making his way out the door, clapped Hunter on the back as he passed.

"Thanks," he said. "For everything." Hunter smiled at him and nodded.

"No problem." Igneous looked at Hunter, confused.

"Am I missing something here?" he asked.

"Yup," was all Hunter said. Igneous didn't tread further into the subject, guessing that he probably shouldn't know. He shrugged instead.

"Are you leaving now or do you need another sparring partner?"

"Probably leaving. When I get back we can spar." He turned to leave but looked at Igneous right before exiting. "Make sure you protect Arachna while I'm gone. I don't want any repeats of what happened a week ago." Igneous laughed nervously, a memory of when the forest near the city had been set on fire.

"It won't," he assured. "See you tonight." Hunter then walked out. The red-head navigated through the maze-like halls of the castle. They were no longer a maze to him anymore. He now knew them like the back of his hand.

"Ready to do some searching, Shadow?" he whispered into his manacle before leaving the fortress.

"Of course," Shadow replied smugly. "Are you ready, though?" Hunter hesitated. Was he ready? Sure, he _felt_ fine, but there were currently things in Arachna that were strong. The Rods, for example. His body was healed, but now the newly healed injuries were weakness. All that meant was that if an enemy exploited the new weaknesses, he would fall. He thought he was ready, but now that he was faced with a choice, he wasn't so sure.

"I'm...not sure, Shadow. But I have to go. I need to find Corona. I have a feeling that something terrible has happened to her."

"Are you a Handmaiden now?" came the sarcastic reply. Hunter snorted. He hadn't heard Shadow's famous sarcasm in a while. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he missed the sarcasm.

"Oh, just shut up and let's go." He shoved open the heavy stone door. The sudden bright sunlight blinded him for a few moments. He squeezed his eyes shut and turned his head sharply away from the source of the light. He slowly cracked his eyes open only to find his vision clouded with annoying black spots. He sighed, irritated. Every second that was spent wasting time was time that could be spent on finding Corona. Eventually, his eyes adjusted to the sun's light. It was only then that he armored himself quickly and silently.

He did not release Shadow. He needed to maneuver around quickly and a bulky battle spider would not help achieve that goal. Hunter also used a trick that he discovered when he was still learning the ropes: storing his weapon in his manacle. (1: go to bottom of page). He touched his lance to the jewel in his manacle and the weapon transformed into specks of light that flew into his manacle.

Hunter maneuvered through the deserted areas of Arachna City in order to avoid people and to get to the forest via the quickest route. After a while of ducking into alleys to escape the presence of a person, he reached the forest. He wanted to keep his recovery a secret for now. He now thought of himself as a secret weapon for the riders. If they ever found themselves in a tight spot, Hunter could get them out with the Oracle keys. Igneous approved of this plan when Hunter had casually brought it up a few days ago.

The tall trees of the forest were not like the ones on Earth. Their trunks were not made of the same type of bark. Instead of the plain brown bark that was well known on the Upper World, this bark was of several different colors and textures. Sure, it was still flammable, but it was a strange sight, watching the wood burn. Hunter touched a tree, remembering when he had first arrived in the Inner World. He laughed quietly, thinking of his old, and possibly still current, foolishness. He smiled, his mind wandering through the recent memories of last year. The smile melted off his face upon reaching his first memory of Corona. He started searching immediately.

He weaved through the trees, searching for anything that could be marked as unusual. His footsteps were silent on the fallen leaves. A stick cracked in the distance. Hunter ducked behind a tree, considering what he could be facing. Silence followed the sudden sound, leaving an ominous feeling. Hunter slowed the rapid beating of his heart and poked his nose out from behind the tree, trying to see what, or who, made the noise. Blond hair flashed in the sunlight nearby. Blond hair that was tied up in a familiar fashion. A grin spread across his face and he stepped out from behind the tree, ignoring the warning bells that were currently going off in his mind. "Corona!" he called, ecstatic to see her. She turned towards him; he froze. "Corona, what's wrong?"

Corona rose her bow to his chest, her blue eyes staring blankly at him. _Something's not right here, _he thought as he dove out of the way, the arrow she just shot whistling by his ear. "Corona! Answer me!" he yelled. He touched the jewel on his manacle and grabbed his lance when it appeared. Corona remained silent; she only drew another arrow from her bow and shot it. Hunter sliced this arrow in two with his lance.

"Hunter," Shadow said. "I think something's wrong with Corona."

"You think?" he responded with a roll of his eyes, dodging yet another arrow. "The question is what's wrong."

"I don't know, Hunter. It's like she doesn't even recognize you."

"You think I don't know that!" As he dodged another arrow, he moved forward. He held his lance at ready; he was not used to fighting a comrade, especially _this _comrade. He advanced forward, hiding behind trees as much as possible. Anytime he was in her line of sight, he was shot at. Hunter attempted to avoid that as much as he could.

He was able to stay out of the line of fire long enough to step in front of Corona and grab her bow, preventing her from firing. "Corona," he repeated calmly. 'What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with me," she snarled back, using a voice that he'd only heard her use once before. (2) She yanked her bow out of his grip which had loosened with the shock of hearing her voice. The moment she regained control of her bow, she fired an arrow. Hunter had no time to move out of the way nor did his mind even register the fact that he could move.

Shadow cried his warnings but by then it was too late. The arrow struck his left shoulder, disappearing upon impact. He cried out, falling to the ground. Corona laughed quietly, the sound making her presence seem dark and sinister. "Hunter!" Shadow yelled. Hunter was taking slow but deep breaths to keep the pain in a manageable range. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Hunter answered through clenched teeth. He pushed himself to his knees. Corona had a strange expression on her face. Her eyes, which were formally blank, were now troubled. It was almost like she was herself again. Her blue eyes blanked out again. She smiled wickedly and she pushed Hunter back to the ground wit her foot.

Se then stepped on the newly opened wound with the heel of her foot, pressing the heel into the opening made by her arrow. Hunter cried out as a unbearable pain sprang within him as the result of her actions. Obviously pleased with herself, she applied more pressure to her heel, sending Hunter through the spirals of agony. It overwhelmed him and a familiar darkness once again fell over him. Corona laughed the whole time.

- -

_DA: Yes, I knew I was a bitch... Surprisingly I'm rather pleased with the outcome of this chapter. It took me a while to stop procrastinating in order of finish this. And to stop being insane. You don't know how many times that I totally went on a random spree. _

_Anyways, the numbers were for little authors notes that I will write on the ending note now. _

_(1) This was my idea. I figured that it would probably be easier than walking around with a huge weapon all the time..._

_(2) This voice was the one she uses in episode 21 when Grasshop uses that beetle that sends out the supersonic waves. The one she uses when she enters the battle. _

_WOOO!!!! I'm finally done! I'm so excited! Next chapter is the start of the actual plot of the entire story. Everything thus far has just been the beginning. Get prepared for the beginning of the end.... BUAHAHAHAHA! Nevermind... I was practicing being evil.... :) OH!! According the results of my poll, I shall write a sequel to this whenever I can finish this._

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	9. Chapter 9

_DA: Hey! Sorry for the wait... Things just keep popping up that I cannot control. For example, one of my friends died three weeks ago..... RIP Brie. 3_

_I did not have an exact deadline to put this new chapter up but I do believe that I had wanted to put this up much sooner than this. I also understand that the review thing was malfunctioning last chapter. If you really feel the need to review, I always accept PM's and will reply to them. _

_Disclaimer: Seriously....I do not own Spider Riders, probably never will. If I did, who knows what would have happened to the series. I tend to be cruel to my characters..._

_Now then, onto the chapter._

_**WARNING** Those who are squeamish to reading about blood might not want to read the end of this chapter... I kinda went nuts and created a really sadistic villain. _

_- - - _

Chapter 9

Aqune shot up in bed, her hand hovering over her heart. A slice of pain had rushed through her body via her connection with the Oracle. Something wasn't right and the Oracle was making sure that she knew. She rushed out of her room, another pang of pain only making her pause slightly. More than likely, everybody was asleep as it was very late. The only light was from the moonlight that shone in from the windows.**(1)** She ran to Prince Lumen's room, figuring that he would like to be the first to know about any bad news.

She knocked on the prince's door and listened intently, trying to hear the telltale rustle of sheets signifying that she had woken him. She knocked harder as yet another sensation raced through her body. "I'm coming," Lumen's tired voice finally said. "I'm comin'."Something hit the floor and Aqune winced in sympathy. "Ouch! I can't see a damn thing. This had better be improrta--" His words cut off as he opened the door. "Aqune!" he exclaimed, sounding surprised. "Why are you up at this hour?"

"The Oracle's in pain," she said urgently, watching his face go from surprised to serious. "I've been feeling it off and on all night." He opened the door wider, stepping aside so she had enough room to pass.

"Come in," he whispered, looking down the hallway for eavesdroppers. She walked in quickly and then watched as Lumen locked the door behind her. He turned to her, frowning. "What do you think it means?" Aqune shook her head. She'd been asking herself the same question all night with no real answer.

"I don't know. It could mean almost anything. The Great Oracle has a reason for everything she does. My only guess is that since she has allowed me to feel her, then it must be extremely important." Urgent knocking sounded at the door. Lumen looked sidelong at the door, his expression almost appearing wary.

"Lumen!" Igneous' voice said. "Prince Lumen!" The prince sighed, his eyes amethyst tired.

"Am I going to get any sleep tonight?" he questioned no one in particular. He unlocked the door and let his commander in. "What's going on?" When Igneous opened his mouth, ready to tell him everything, the blond stopped him. "I don't need to know the whole story, just the problem..."

"Hunter didn't return last night!" Igneous face was calm, but his hazel eyes were worried. Aqune and Lumen's eyes widened as they met the other's gaze. This fit in perfectly with what the Handmaiden had been feeling. Lumen quickly locked the door again and sat down on his bed, propping his head on his hands.

"Aqune, why don't you explain why you're here." She nodded and faced the disheveled Spider Riders. She quickly and quietly explained what she'd been feeling. Igneous expression turned grave. He walked to the window and looked up at the darkened Oracle's Sun.

"This is bad news," he whispered.

- - - -

Corona's spirit fought against the forces that controlled her will. Venus ran across the terrain, carrying both her rider and Hunter, who was laid carefully on the spider's back so he wouldn't fall. She hated doing this, though no matter how hard she tried she couldn't break the control. After going over a bump, her head moved down. It was strange feeling her body move without her saying so. Her eyes focused on Hunter.

He was pale and blood was seeping through his clothes. His head was facing the side, his eyes shut and a strand of fire red hair falling across his face. The sight made Corona go cold. She was so used to seeing him as a warrior, strong and brave. Any weakness that he has never showed. He moaned, the sound barely audible. "Are you awake, Spider Rider?" her voice questioned quietly. Hunter's eyes flicked open and he glanced up at her, his expression showing a mix of emotions.

"Why Corona?" he asked her, his emerald eyes looking up at her somberly. "Who did this to you and why? What do they want with me?" Though it was obvious that he could move, he chose not to; whether the reason was to conserve his energy or to try and find and opening, it left Corona confused. Her body locked eyes with the rider. Hunter's eyes hardened as he looked upon those blank eyes, the eyes that had first told him that something was seriously wrong.

"My master sees some use in you," she responded, her monotone voice getting a reaction out of the boy. "What that use is, I'm not sure. It has something to do with the keys you hold." Hunter's jaw clenched, his thoughts moving instantly to Arachna. The keys were going to be, yet again, the center of the conflict. He subconsciously considered what they would do with _him_ once they had the keys. He shook his head to clear those thoughts.

Corona suddenly looked ahead, her eyes focusing on a group of mountains. She then turned to him. "You, up!" she snarled. Hunter's eyebrows furrowed, his mouth curling into a frown. "You heard me." She got behind him and pulled him up, pulling his arms behind him. Hunter cried out, a sharp pain lancing through his wounded shoulder. Venus stopped at the opening of a cave and Melinda walked out, a cold smile on her face.

"Welcome, you two," she said, seeming hospitable enough. Hunter knew that this was only an act. "I hope your journey was pleasant." Hunter snorted and her gaze fell upon him. "I see your mission was a success, Corona. Good work." Corona inclined her head at the praise. "Now hand him over to me!" The girl flinched at the order but complied. She kicked him to the ground in front of the black-haired woman where he was seized immediately, his arms once again held behind his back. His shoulder burned and he could feel the blood draining from his face. "Now call your spider back." Corona winced at the new order.

"Spider in," she called, her voice strained. Venus disappeared, leaving the blond girl standing on the ground, clutching her head.

"What are you doing to her?" Hunter yelled at Melinda, even though he couldn't see her.

"I'm loosening my grip on her will. The more slowly I do it, the more pain I cause. It'll be over anytime now," the woman said. Corona suddenly dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"CORONA!" Hunter cried, seeing her fall.

"It's done..." The girl stirred, moaning.

"Hunter," she groaned, not fully awake. She struggled into an upright position.

"Corona! Run! Get away from here." He suddenly cried out, pain rushing through his body from his shoulder being tugged.

"I wouldn't say another word if I were you," a cold voice whispered in his ear. Corona shook her head, trying to clear it.

"Hunter... What are you talking about?" She looked up at him and gasped upon seeing him in enemy hands.

"Don't question me. Just go!" He gasped, falling to his knees. A black sword appeared, snaking its way under the boy's throat. Corona's eyes went wide. She shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be alright." He hissed as the sword cut into his neck; blood began to drip down to his collarbone. "Go! You have to warn everyone. You have to save yourself. I care about you too much to see you fall by my hand." His face went slightly red as did hers.

The sword withdrew and Hunter let out a breath. "Very good, Hunter," Melinda purred, stepping next to Hunter. She ran a finger down the side of his face. "You figured out our plan. You're going to fall under my control, enabling my master the use of the Oracle keys." If looks could kill, Melinda would be dead.

"Corona, please, go." Hunter's voice sounded weak. Melinda laughed.

"Yes, Corona, go. Warn your pathetic nation so it can prepare for its downfall." Corona opened her mouth to say something but an urgent look from Hunter silenced her. Her lips tightened into a thin, white line. She nodded slightly and released Venus. She jumped on and turned back to Hunter.

"I'll come back for you!" she yelled. "I promise." **(2)** Hunter just nodded, his face white as Melinda pulled once again on his left arm. With difficulty, she turned towards the forest. "Go Venus!" They galloped off, leaving Hunter behind.

"Get up!" Melinda ordered. He stood, glaring at the psychic. "Inside." He walked forward almost against his will. The black-haired woman smiled, watching him. "Good. Now follow me. I believe its time for you and my master to meet face to face." Hunter swallowed, feeling sweat sting the newly opened cut on his neck. This was not going to end well.

They walked through the corridors in silence. Hunter considered the odds of escape; they weren't very good. The psychic stopped in front of a door and turned to him. "I'd give you rules on how to behave yourself but I don't think that you'll listen to them anyway," she said. "So I'll warn you instead. My master doesn't take kindly to misbehavior. Say anything that he doesn't like and you will be punished." She then opened the door. "You first." He frowned, glancing at the woman from the corners of his eyes. He walked inside and the air seemed to get ten degrees colder.

"Melinda," a deep voice said from within a cascade of shadows. "I see that you have completed our objectives beautifully. A job well done." Melinda bowed and knelt in front of the shadows. "Hunter, come here." The boy in question hesitated. There was something about this man that he just didn't like. Maybe it was the fact that he was residing in shadows at the moment. He shook his head and took a step back. The male laughed. "Keep resisting, boy. I always find it more fun to break my prisoners before doing anything else with them."

"I won't help you. I refuse." The man laughed again.

"My dear boy. It's not like you have a choice." A force pushed Hunter forward, causing him to stumble and fall next to Melinda. She smirked at him, obviously enjoying his pain. "Melinda, slice open his arm and bring him here." The woman, only too happy to comply, snatched one of his arms and pulled out her sword. Hunter pulled, trying to get his arm back. In one swift motion, Melinda sliced his forearm open. He clenched his teeth as Melinda hauled him up and basically dragged him to the curtain of darkness.

A hand reached out from within the shadows and grasped his arm. A face then appeared. Melinda's master had dark hair and an even darker eyes; he didn't have a flaw on his face. In some sort of twisted way, he reminded him of the Oracle. He brought Hunter's bleeding arm up to his face, inhaling the metallic scent. "Ah, your blood, it has a scent of fear to it." The man grinned maliciously and dragged a finger along the cut. He then brought the finger to his lips and licked whatever bit of the liquid had stuck there. Hunter blanched, feeling slightly ill. The man then looked at Hunter's face, studying the boy. "Since you'll be staying with us for a while, I would like to present you with a gift."

"I don't want a gift from you," Hunter snarled upon finding his voice. The man smirked, shaking his head.

"Again, my dear boy. I don't believe that you have a choice." He tapped the side of the boy's neck, transferring some of his power into Hunter. Hunter screamed, falling to his knees and grabbing the side of his neck. Something about whatever the man had done was trying to replace any of the Oracle's power in his body and the pain of this was excruciating.

"What...have you...done... to me?" Hunter asked, finding effort in even speaking.

"Nothing that matters as of this time. Now will you join us?" Hunter spat at him.

"Never!" Spots were beginning to appear in his vision.

"Very well then. Melinda!" The woman stood up straight at the mention of her.

"Yes, my master." She knelt down next to Hunter and rested a hand on his forehead. He screamed again as she forced herself into his mind. "Now you will obey!" Her cry was in both voice and mind. There was one last cry and he was silent. He sat up, his eyes opening slowly.

"So Hunter," the man said. "How do you feel now?"

"Very good, master," he answered, his words monotone. He locked eyes with the dark figure and the master began to laugh. Hunter's eyes were devoid of all emotion.

"Finally!" The man yelled, throwing his arms into the sky. "Finally all the pieces are falling into place. Now the Oracle will regret rejecting me." Hunter stood, his hand falling to his sides and away from a new mark on the side of his neck. At his new master's words, the black mark pulsed slowly, making the broken spider look even more menacing.

- - -

_DA: Well, that's that. Sorry for the little scene involving the mysterious master. As I said earlier, I kinda went all crazy. I apologize in advance for any and all nightmares that my little villain might have caused._

_I know that there is no moon, but this is the only way that I could describe it._

_This is a quote from the end of Kingdom Hearts. I really couldn't resist. _

_Well, some crazy things have begun to happen. This was an interesting chapter. And yes, I do love giving the enemy the upper hand. To tell the truth, I lost the story. The characters are writing it now. I have no control anymore. Oh! And I have just about 15 chapters written. It's only a matter of typing them up. Believe me, some crazy shit happens in chapter 15. Well, until next time. Remember to PM me if you really want to review. _

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	10. Chapter 10

_DA: I apologize yet AGAIN for the complete insanity of the last chapter..... (to tell the truth, I've written worse) So I'm in an updating mood lately so maybe (REPEAT MAYBE!!!) I will update every weekend. It all depends on homework and my own mood. _

_Disclaimer: Don't own. Please don't attack me with lawyers._

_**Warning**(yes another one): Slight Igneous bashing. No I don't hate him, quite the opposite actually. I just really needed some humor or this story would keep getting darker and darker and darker and... I think you get the point._

_- - - - _

Chapter 10

Corona was out of battle armor and was fast asleep on Venus when Aqune found them. All of the Spider Riders had been sent out first thing in the morning to find the two missing members of their corps. "Corona?" Aqune asked, standing up on her purple spider. Corona responded with a moan, curling into a ball. The dark haired sibling jumped off of Portia and onto Venus. "Corona," she called again, gently shaking the blond. The girl in question just moaned again and turned over, still asleep.

"Aqune," Venus said, her gentle, motherly voice making Aqune jump. "Please don't wake her. She needs the rest." Aqune looked down at the spider as if trying to read her thoughts. She wondered just what had happened. Instead of speaking her mind, she just nodded, transferring back to Portia. There would be a time for questions later.

"Follow me, Venus! Portia, back to Arachna." As the spiders began to move, she opened communications to the other riders. "Guys," she started, unable to keep the relief out of her voice. "I've found Corona. She's tired, but otherwise unharmed." Igneous was the first to answer.

"Good. What about Hunter? Did you find him too?" he asked, a little anxious. Aqune sighed impatiently.

"No, Igneous. I didn't. Your concern for him is starting to scare me. I'm beginning to question your motives." There were snickers heard from the ones who understood the joke. Igneous paused for a moment, considering her words.

"What are you implying?!" His yell nearly made Aqune burst out in laughter. It was all she could do not to let even a giggle out.

"I think you know." Lumen roared with laughter on one end of the line.

"Excuse me! It's not right to accuse your commanding officer of such an insult." Aqune opened her mouth but only a squeak came out, a result of her held back laughter. "As a matter of fact, I have an entire fan club of girls."

"All of which get boyfriends whenever you leave," Prince Lumen supplied. For once in his life, Igneous was speechless. Sure he was worried for his leader, but he wasn't _that _concerned. He wasn't gay. **(I)**

"I have a feeling that no matter what I say, you're going to go against me."

"Yea, pretty much," Lumen and Aqune answered in unison.

"Well, if that's the case, I'll see you all in Arachna." Aqune winced at his angry words. He snapped the communication line off.

"Think I pushed him too far?" the Handmadien asked, worried.

"Nah," Lumen responded. "He deserved that. It was so damn funny, too. You know, Aqune, you're usually serious but you can be quite funny if you want to be."

"Thanks," Aqune said dryly. "Well, I'm going to follow Igneous back to Arachna to bring Corona home."

"Okay, we're all going to finish up our sectors and follow you home when we're done. See you soon."

"Alright." She closed the rest of the connections. Portia had already made considerable progress towards the city. Aqune frowned at the moving scenery. Even though she had found her sister, she had a really bad feeling that something horrible was about to befall Arachna Kingdom. What was going on that unnerved even the Oracle?

Corona mumbled something in her sleep, breaking Aqune from her thoughts. She looked over at her sister, a slight grin making her way to her face. Corona looked peaceful in her sleep. Aqune knew that the blond felt the unease from the Oracle and she had yet another feeling that her sister knew the reason. Right now though, she was getting some much needed rest. Aqune turned back towards the path Portia was traveling upon. At least she hoped Corona knew. The Oracle's unease was beginning to worry her.

- - - -

Corona cracked her eyes open. A blurry form stood above her. She blinked the sleep away and her vision cleared. Aqune was hovering above her, a mix of relief and worry in her violet eyes. She smiled at her sister and then turned towards the door. "Igneous!" she called. "She's up!"

"Fine," a somewhat angry voice responded. "I'm coming." The door opened and slammed shut with a rather loud bang. He appeared at the opposite side of Corona's bed, refusing to even look at the girl who was opposite him.

"Are you still angry?!" Aqune asked, annoyance seeping through her words. Igneous gave no response to her words which basically confirmed the dark haired girl's suspicions. She sighed. "By the Oracle, Igneous! It was a day ago and I apologized. Get. Over. It!"Igneous rolled his eyes.

Corona pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Um," she croaked, her voice still laced with sleep. "Might I ask what's got Igneous so upset? The last time he was this angry was when someone called him gay." Aqune cleared her throat, her cheeks flushing slightly. Corona's eyes widened. "You didn't?"

"Maybe..." She glanced over at Igneous who was still steaming. "Who was the last person to make that mistake?"

"It was either Prince Lumen or Hunter." She paused for a moment, thinking back on her memories. "Actually, it might have been both of them." Igneous cleared his throat as if offended. The siblings looked at him, one feigning innocence and the other appearing blank.

"Yes, Igneous?" they asked together.

"You didn't have to remind me of that Corona," he muttered, looking away.

"Apparently," she said, smirking. "Yes, I did." A sudden wave of nervousness made her queasy. Her eyes widened as a rush of recent memories found their way to the front of her mind. "Oh no," she whispered, a hand hovering over her heart. "Oh no!" She felt Aqune's and Igneous' eyes on her.

"What's wrong?" Aqune asked, sitting down on Corona's bed.

"Guys. I've got really, no _extremely_ bad news." Corona put her head in her hands, remembering his determined face. The face that was also pale with fear.

"Well, what is it?" Igneous asked, not liking the wait. The dark haired sibling frowned; she knew what this was: this was the reason behind the Oracle's unease.

"I don't really know how to explain this. I guess I'll just start from the beginning." She swallowed, unsure of whether or not to continue. "When I disappeared, I somehow ended up under Melinda's control. One of the things that the witch made me do was capture Hunter. They let me go after handing him in and he told me to run. I didn't want to go. In fact, I nearly refused." Tears began to drip down her face. "But he ordered me to go. Ordered! I couldn't go against his orders. It's now my only guess that he's been put under her control." She sobbed into her hands. "I wish I had stayed. I just couldn't disobey him."

Igneous and Aqune exchanged a look. Aqune placed her hand on her sister's shoulder. "Corona," she said gently. "Are you absolutely sure that this happened?" Corona looked up at her, shocked.

"I'm sitting here, balling my eyes out, and you accuse me of lying!" Tears were still falling freely and she made no attempt to wipe them.

"Well, the idea _is_ a little far fetched, Corona," Aqune reasoned.

"Oh my goodness! The same exact thing basically happened to you, Aqune, and you don't believe me."

"No, not really."

"How can I prove it to you? You had a freaking mask. They had a psychic to control me with." She shook her head.

"Maybe I can be of some assistance," Venus said from Corona's manacle. Corona brightened upon hearing her spider.

"Venus! You can help. Give them your side of the story."

"Corona's right, you two. She was under their control, along with me. Then, they let us go so they could focus their efforts solely on Hunter. He, himself, told us to warn you." Igneous sighed and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well, this isn't good," he said, leaning against a wall. Everybody trusted Venus as a reliable source of information. Corona's mouth hung open in disbelief.

"You believe Venus but you didn't believe me," Corona stated. "Why didn't you believe me?"

"Corona, you tend to be a dramatist and it wouldn't be odd if our current situation was a dream." Corona rolled her eyes, frowning. "The only question now is what do we do?" Igneous glanced around nervously, the previous insult forgotten. "Our leader has switched sides, not his fault of course, and Melinda is bound to attack Arachna with a full fledged assault soon. What do we do?" A scrape was heard from just outside the door.

Aqune sighed. "Come in guys," she called, turning towards the door. It opened and the remaining riders entered. "How long have you been eavesdropping?"

"Long enough to know that we're in deep trouble if we don't do anything," Lumen answered.

"Well, that saves us time," Corona said.

"If I may make a suggestion..." The prince was cut off by the blond.

"Negotiations won't help us here, Lumen!" she basically yelled.

"I wasn't going to suggest a negotiation!" he retorted, glaring at her. He gathered himself again. "I was actually going to suggest a trip to the Invectids." Everyone looked at him in shock.

"We have a treaty with them," Igneous said, always the one to observe the facts before deciding on anything. "But they haven't been exactly friendly." Aqune, on the other hand, was ecstatic.

"I think we should go," she supplied. "I doubt they'd turn us down in our time of need."

"But the risk," Igneous said, trying to talk them out of this absurd idea.

"We need backup, Igneous," Corona said. "I, for one, agree with my sister."

"Let's put it up to a vote," Prince Lumen said. "Who's for going to the Invectids for help?" Lumen, Sparkle, Aqune, and Corona put their hands up. Lumen smirked at his first in command. "All against it?" he asked almost smugly. Igneous and Magma halfheartedly put their hands up, defeated. "Well, it looks like we're heading to Invectid territory."

Corona moved to get out of bed. "We're going to have to leave immediately in order to get there quickly," she said, throwing off her covers. Igneous and Aqune exchanged yet another look before pushing her back down on the bed.

"You're not going," Igneous said firmly. Corona looked at him, startled. Obviously she had not expected to meet resistance.

"Of course I am," she exclaimed. Aqune shook her head.

"No, you're not," she said, a ghost of a smile playing upon her lips. "First of all, some of us need to remain here to protect Arachna. A Handmaiden would be especially helpful. Second of all, you still need rest."

"But..."

"She's right, Corona," Prince Lumen said, nodding. "It's dangerous enough splitting our forces in half. We need to leave at least one Handmaiden behind. So who's going?" The last question was directed at everyone else, who considered the options. Aqune was the one to speak up.

"Me, Prince Lumen, and Igneous," she decided, counting off the people on her fingers. "Me because the Invectids respect me and treat me as their family, Lumen because he's the prince, and Igneous because we're going into dangerous territory and we may need his quick thinking." Of course, the riders left out protested her choices.

"Silence!" Prince Lumen yelled, calling upon his royal authority for once. Everyone stood shocked, staring at the blond haired prince with wide eyes. "Does anybody else have a better idea?!" Silence followed the question. "Then we're going with Aqune's plan and that's final!" The riders nodded dumbly, still staring. The usually laid back prince _never_ pulled rank on anybody before. "Now, all who are going, we will be leaving in a half an hour. Get ready and meet me by Arachna's gate when you're ready," With that said, he left, slamming the door behind him. All the rider's stared blankly at the closed door, their expressions frozen on their face.

- -

_DA: Yea, definitely not my best. Well let's see, at least this chapter isn't crazy.... There won't be action for a little while. I think for at least six more chapters. _

_1) I have a really dry sense of humor, I know. It was just something to lighten the fic a bit._

_DA: So yea, this was basically a filler chapter. Except for the part where Lumen completely snaps, again, I really don't like this chapter. I HATE FILLERS!!!! On a positive note, we get to visit the Invectids next chapter!!! =D Even Hunter returns for a little evil scene... Yep, we get crazy again next chapter... Sorry about that._

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	11. Chapter 11

_DA: Sorry for the wait, again... But I'm done for the school year so I have free time and lots of it. Hopefully I'll be able to get at least halfway through this story by the end of the summer. _

_**Disclaimer:**__ I don't own Spider Riders, never ever will. _

_DA: Okay, so I lied... again. There's no Invectids this chapter. That'll be next chapter and that's a definite. I need to start checking before I say something for certain. _

_**Note** More sadistic goodness this chapter... Just so you're prepared._

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Chapter 11

Igneous recovered first from the shock that resulted from the prince's sudden mood swing. He dragged Aqune outside. Once in the hallway, the Handmaiden muttered, "Okay, I don't believe that that kind of thing usually happens around here..."

"Tell me about it," Igneous whispered back. "Never has that happened before. Yea, he might have suggested a few things here and there but nothing overly demanding. Something must be bothering him." Aqune nodded at him.

"Those are my thoughts. It's my hope that we can get it out of him on the way to the Invectids." Igneous nodded in agreement. With that, he turned and headed towards his room. He had a half hour to blow and not all of it was going to be spent on packing.

Aqune had nearly the same thing in mind. Except the other item on her agenda was very different from Igneous'. On her way to her room, she stopped at another door. She took a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door, looking around to see if anybody was watching her. Then she walked into the room and shut the door quietly behind her. Hunter's room was the exact same as it was when he left. Obviously, no one had been here since his departure.

Aqune looked around for something she had done for him as a favor not too long ago. After he'd semi-recovered from his fight with Melinda, he'd asked her to do something that she'd never expect from him.

SRSRSR

**(1) **_"Aqune," Hunter greeted as she walked into the room. She nodded at him and sat by his bed. _

"_What did you call me here for, Hunter?" she asked, watching the boy closely. He reached over to the table and grabbed two of the Oracle Keys. _

"_I need you to put some sort of protection on these two keys." Aqune's violet eyes widened._

"_But don't you need these, Hunter?" He smiled at her and shook his head. _

"_It doesn't matter if I do. I can't and won't allow them to fall into enemy hands. Don't worry, I'll keep two keys but from now on two of the Oracle Keys I carry will be fake while the other two are real. Two in enemy hands is bad, but if all four fell into enemy hands..." He shook his head. "I won't allow it to happen." Aqune studied the boy for a long time, contemplating her decision. She then took a deep breath in and nodded. Hunter grinned at her as he put both his hands behind his head. "Thanks Aqune."_

SRSRSRSR

She'd given him a box that couldn't be opened by anyone save for a Handmaiden or a person who had an Oracle Key in their possession. It couldn't be broken as well, courtesy of the Oracle.

Aqune spotted a glow emitting from the cracks of a cabinet. She opened it carefully and saw a plain wooden box, glowing with the Oracle's power. With a small smile, she removed the box from its respective shelf.

The box was plain. A normal brown box that didn't even have a lock. What made it special was what Aqune had done to it. She had sent a prayer to the Oracle, asking her to guard this box and now pretty much nothing could get through its new security. Aqune placed a hand on the box and temporarily removed its defenses. Taking a deep breath, the Handmaiden opened the lid.

The inside of the box was as ordinary as the outside. The sparkling brilliance of the keys is what made it extraordinary. Aqune glanced around nervously before removing both of the objects. No one knew about what was in the box and that was what made her nervous. She stowed them in a pouch on her hip and quickly made her way out of the room. Locking the door, she made sure the hallway was still empty. She then walked to her room. Once inside, she sighed in relief and took one of the keys out of her pouch and placed it onto the counter.

Reminding herself that she needed to pack, she pulled out her travel bag and placed the necessary articles into it. Then she laid her cloak onto the bed with her bag. After she finished, she turned to the key. Praying this way wasted a lot of energy than normal. It needed to be done though.

Aqune knelt in front of the Oracle Key and assumed the usual prayer stance. She let her eyes fall shut as she began the chant. "Light brings knowledge, knowledge brings compassion. Light brings knowledge, knowledge brings compassion. I am bathed in Light, I open my mind and heart to the light," she whispered, feeling her heart connect with the Oracle's being. Her thoughts were focused on her sole purpose: protecting Arachna. As her lips moved through the familiar words, she prayed to the Oracle, begging her to protect the city.

The key lifted off the desk, glowing brighter in response to the incantation. An orb of protection formed around the key. A little while later Aqune felt the Oracle's power and protection settle on the city. Only then did she relax her position, the words of power stopping their flow from her mouth. She slumped to the floor, closing her violet eyes.

Realizing that she couldn't stay here, Aqune picked herself off the floor and gathered her things. Checking to make sure the other key was still in her pouch, she left. Igneous crashed into her, literally, in the hallway. He was jotting something down down on a small notepad. He looked up for a second but looked right back down, absorbed in his work. "Oh, hey Aqune," he said. Aqune put her hands on her hips, waiting for the boy to put the pad away.

"Igneous, what in Oracle's name are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm writing down some emergency strategies," he said, startling her by actually answering. "If I write something down, it's less likely that I'll forget that." He put the notebook away and grinned up at her. He then frowned after getting a good look at her face. "What have _you _been up to? You seem way too tired for just packing?" Aqune grinned sheepishly.

"You'll see soon enough." She walked ahead of the commander and beckoned for him to follow. "C'mon, let's get going. We don't want Prince Lumen getting upset again." She kept walking. Seeing Aqune not stopping, Igneous ran to catch up.

"Speaking of which, can we just leave that subject alone when we see him?" Aqune laughed.

"You're loosing your nerve. And here I thought that you were a big strong Spider Rider," she joked. Igneous scowled at her and she gave a light hearted laugh. "I'm just kidding."

"When did you become such a kidder?" he grumbled, frowning. **(2)** They traveled the rest of the way in silence. It wasn't long before they exited the city. Outside the walls, Lumen was staring at the city in awe. "We are ready to leave, my prince." Aqune glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, smirking. In her head, she was commenting on his gender preferences. The prince shook his head.

"Never mind that," Lumen said, still looking astounded. "What's going on with the city?" Aqune smiled, guessing what they were seeing. Next to her, Igneous gasped.

"Great Spirit Oracle!" he exclaimed. She suppressed a giggle.

"Precisely," she said, startling them both. Two shocked faces turned towards her.

"What?" Prince Lumen asked.

"The Great Oracle's power. I asked her to protect the city. So she did."

"But wouldn't a prayer of that caliber require an Oracle Key to be fulfilled?" She gave a soft smile and fished the key from her pouch.

"Who said that I didn't have a key?" she asked quietly, displaying the key on her palm. Igneous opened his mouth to say something but she answered his question before it even left his lips. "There's another key in the castle holding up the barriers."

"How did you end up with two keys?" Lumen demanded. "They're supposed to be with Hunter."

"He asked me to protect two of the keys and I did. He now carries two false keys. He didn't want to chance all four keys falling into enemy hands."

"So he knew that you had the keys?"

"They remained in his room. I just put protection on them." Their faces softened. A horrible thought then occurred to her. "It's only a temporary shield. If someone powerful attacked, like someone with two Oracle keys, the whole thing would shatter." Lumen's face froze and Igneous frowned. It was a while before anybody spoke. Lumen swallowed, trying to clear his throat.

"W...Well, there's no use in worrying. The only thing we can do now is ask for help from the Invectids. They're our only chance." Aqune and Igneous nodded. They then called out their spiders and started off. They rode in silence for a while before Igneous thought he'd prove someone wrong.

"Prince Lumen," he started. Aqune looked at him in shock, realizing what he was doing. "You've seemed pretty tense lately. What's going on?" Lumen cocked an eyebrow at him while Aqune buried her head in her hands.

"I'm the leader of the Spider Riders again since Hunter's missing," he said after a moment's hesitation. "So now I have to remember how I juggled two responsibilities and I can't. Then with everybody arguing back there, I guess I just snapped."

"I'll say," Aqune muttered, finally lifting her head out of her hands.

SRSRSRSR

"So you're telling me," the Dark Oracle said **(3)**. "That the Spider Riders left their precious city." Melinda nodded. "They're probably going to get help from the Invectids." He snorted. "Let them get help from those disgusting insects. It will do them no good. We've got much more power on our side."

He met the gazes of both Melinda and Hunter. "Yes sir," they murmured in agreement. Hunter wore his street attire while Melinda was wearing her usual black ensemble. The psychic winced and her hand shot out, grabbing Hunter's wrist. The redhead's arm jerked up in a futile attempt t get his arm free.

"Let go of me," he whispered weakly. He struggled, but Melinda did not let go. Eventually his struggling ceased and he resorted to glaring at his captor. Melinda smirked at him. "Don't you even think for a second that you've won. I will never give up and the rest of the Spider Riders won't either. They'll find a way. They'll beat you." The boy then turned to the Dark Oracle. "Then you can crawl back in the pit you came from, you bastard." He smirked, the overall effect of the facial expression weakened by his tired countenance.

Though her master was encased in shadows, Melinda could feel the waves of cold rage rolling off of him. She let go of Hunter and stepped away. Whatever he was going to do, it wasn't going to be pretty.

"You fool!" the Dark Oracle snarled. "You dare insult me! I could destroy you with a blink of an eye. As for your friends, they'll never win. They're fighting a battle that they will lose. Then, every single one of them will perish by my hand." With a flick of his wrist, he sent the boy flying into the nearest wall. A cry of pain and shock left his lips as his body made contact with the solid rock. He slid to the floor, unconscious. Melinda walked over to him.

"I've got him back again, sir," she said. "You should stop hurting him every time that he manages to break free. You'll kill him before you get any use out of him." She turned to the Spider Rider. "Up!" His eyes snapped open and he stood up. "Now, back to my report, sir?"

"Very well. Continue Melinda."

"I'm also picking up a barrier protecting Arachna. It'll be hard to penetrate but with the keys, it'll fall easily. My forces are ready whenever you need them."

"We won't attack just yet. That'd be playing right into their hands. They're probably expecting an attack now that they know that we are in possession of Hunter and the Oracle Keys. Our attack, whenever it may be, will take them by surprise. Speaking of the keys... Hunter! Bring me the Oracle Keys!" Hunter took the keys from his pocket and calmly gave them to the Dark Oracle. He took them from the boy's grasp.

"What is this? Two of these keys are fake! Hunter thought he could out think me, didn't he? I suspect the other two are hidden away at Arachna Castle. No matter. I can still work with this." His maniacal laughter echoed around the entire room.

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_DA: That wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. It could have been worse, much worse. Once again, probably not my best. I didn't deviate much from the original chapter. I usually do... Not to mention I used the word 'Oracle' way too much this chapter...  
_

_**(1) **__I'm pretty sure that you figured this out but this is a flashback. _

_**(2)**__ Aqune is once again OOC so I had Igneous pick up on that to make it seem a bit more realistic. I apologize as I have no idea how she's getting so out of character._

_**(3)**__ Two chapters ago, chapter nine I think, I compared their master to the Oracle so now you understand how I got that name. :D_

_DA: I posted a one-shot a week or so ago. I hope some of you read it. I also was hit with two more ideas for books after this one. You'll see their summaries on my profile and please, I don't know whether or not I'll write the last two, so please vote on the poll which is also on my profile. It'll be a great help. I think that's all I have to say tonight. Review, because I know you want to._

_May your hearts stay strong, _

_DarkAngel555_


	12. Chapter 12

_DA: Hello again folks. I don't know if you missed me but I miss you, my beloved fans. It makes me happy to know I've got fans. :D _

_Disclaimer: You know the drill. Don't own. I do own the story line however and my very few OC's. _

_DA: Invectid time! Slight, well maybe a tad more than slight, BugueseXAqune. Don't like, don't read. Unless you want to read the story, then ignore it. Enjoy._

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Chapter 12

Aqune stood at the gates of what used to be Mantid's Citadel. Her happiness was now an entirely different variety. It was the ease of her being home and not just being playful. The Invectids had raised her since she was small. In some part of her heart, she would always consider the insects as her family.

Lumen and Igneous shifted nervously behind her. All three of them had recalled their spiders in order to show that they came in peace. Without their spiders, the two boys felt defenseless, helpless even, and neither of them liked it.

The gates creaked open and all three of them jumped in surprise. An Invectid soldier marched out, a spear in his hand. Several others followed him. "Ssstate your name and business, Miss Aqune," the first one requested. Aqune bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Still, she couldn't stop a small smile from making its way to her face. She then cleared her throat.

"Gentlemen, I am Aqune and my companions are Prince Lumen of Arachna and Commander Igneous of Arachna," she stated, her voice sounding calm and collected. "I assure you that we come in peace. **(1)** We require an immediate audience with Lord Buguese and his three commanders." The soldiers looked nervous, their mandibles clicking uneasily.

"Miss Aqune," one said. "Lord Buguese said not to be bothered today. He said that he was doing something important."

"Then can you please tell him that we're here? We have a matter that needs to be discussed as soon as possible." The soldier speaking swallowed before nodding.

"Yes ma'am. I will go right away. If you could follow me, you can wait inside." The group of soldiers turned and walked back inside. Aqune followed instantly while Lumen and Igneous hesitated before entering.

The room where they waited hadn't been refurbished yet. It still had Mantid's cold and unfriendly manor. This didn't improve Lumen and Igneous' mood. They both thought that they could still feel the cold stare of Mantid on their backs, his laugh in their ears. Discarded lances and robes laid in the corner and exoskeletons hung from the walls.

Suddenly, the door slammed open and Buguese stormed in, not looking too happy. "Now who's here that's so important?" he snarled. That's when his gaze fell on Aqune; his frown turned into a small smile. "My dear sweet Aqune," he purred. "You've returned." They shared a short hug. When they released each other, Aqune had a slight blush spreading across her cheeks.

"It certainly has been awhile, Buguese. Unfortunately, this isn't a pleasure trip," she said. The Leader of the Invectids noticed Igneous and Prince Lumen. His expression grew serious and he stepped back from the woman he loved.

"No, I suppose it isn't. Let's take this up to my office. Do you need the commanders as well?" Aqune nodded. "Very well. Follow me." He turned to walk upstairs and Aqune caught the look of disappointment as it crossed his face.

SRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSRSR

Once everybody had arrived, Buguese spoke up. "Is Hunter ill or something of the sort?" he asked.

"No," the prince, who was currently sitting in a chair by a stone table in the center of the room, responded. "Why?"

"Usually for the diplomatic sessions, he comes with you. Why is he not here?"

"That's what we're here to tell you," Igneous said as he leaned up against a wall by the prince. "We've been having problems with a new enemy. They're a group of machines that we have come to call Rods. They are lead by a psychic named Melinda and the identity of her master is still unknown to us. Though the frequent attacks have been problematic, they haven't posed a serious threat until now.

"You see, Corona went missing for a few days back and Hunter went to go search for her. Then, Hunter went missing as well. Several days later, we found Corona and she delivered some disturbing news." He paused for a few seconds, glancing at the prince. Lumen nodded at him and Igneous continued. "We now have reason to believe that our leader, Hunter Steele, is currently under the control of Melinda and her master." Lumen then picked up where Igneous left off.

"We're here," he said quietly. "As you probably have guessed, to ask for your assistance. Beg if we must. There's no way we could defeat our leader alone, not when he holds the Oracle Keys." Buguese's face was fixed in a scowl, Stag's was unemotional as usual, Beerain was frowning, and Grasshop's expression was one of pure shock.

Buguese's hand started to tap on the table as he thought. He wanted to help them, everyone in the room knew that, but it was a matter of the Invectid state. When he had taken Mantid's place, Buguese had vowed never to abuse his power. He would never force his people into anything, especially another war. He took a deep breath and stood, walking over to the wall window. "I'm afraid," he started. "That I can't give you an answer just yet." His commanders gaped at him. None of them said a word though.

Aqune looked at the boy's now hopeless faces, disappointed at the answer, before lowering her head. "We understand," she said. Buguese twirled upon hearing her tone. Seeing her lowered head, he sighed.

"Come here you three. An explanation was in order." Lumen, Igneous, and Aqune exchanged glances and shrugged. Lumen stood up and they walked over. The Invectid leader pointed down at the streets of the Invectid city. "Our civilization is thriving since Mantid was defeated. Our people have been enjoy having the sun back. They're more lively, hopeful, and cheerful than they were before. They like not having to worry about being at war or being attacked. We've just finished the war with the humans. I don't want to force them into another war. I swore that as the Lord of the Invectids, I would never make a decision for my people." Lumen glanced up, surprised at the information. This had never crossed their minds before."So you see," the leader said, turning to face them. "I can't make a decision now. I'll bring up the subject and give them the right to choose. If they say no, I'm sorry. I will try my best to tell them that you were the heroes that saved them from Mantid. To tell them that your race is worth saving. Maybe, just maybe, they'll listen."

Buguese noticed the prince's glance, understanding shinning in his lilac eyes. "I think I understand," Lumen said, shocking both of his comrades. "Don't rush your people. We can hold them off for a little while by ourselves." He met the eyes of both Aqune and Igneous. "But I think it's time we returned home to help protect Arachna." He turned back to Buguese and smiled, holding out a hand. "Here's to luck, for both of us."Buguese looked at the hand, astounded. True, the prince was famous, or infamous, for his negotiations but usually those negotiations were made so he never had to see the insects again. But here he was, offering a sign of peace. **(2)** Hesitantly, the Invectid Lord took the prince's hand. Lumen gave it a firm shake. "Good luck to you, Buguese."

Buguese actually cracked a smile. "And to you, Lumen." The blond let go and turned to the Spider Riders with him.

"Let's head home, you two. There's nothing else that we can do here." He started to walk out of the room.

"Wait," Buguese called. "You're not staying the night?" Lumen gave a firm shake of his head.

"No, though it'd be nice to rest before leaving, I have a feeling that a few of your people still aren't too fond of us and we'd probably end up dead in our beds." Buguese opened his mouth to argue but realized that his words were probably true.

"Have a safe journey." All three nodded and walked out the door. He followed them out and Aqune stopped, turning back to him. She stood on her toes and quickly pecked him on the lips.

"See you soon, hopefully," she whispered. Then, she was gone.

When he walked back inside his office, two of his commanders nearly attacked him. "Buguese," Grasshop started as Buguese sat down. "We have to help the Spider Riders. They're not as useless as they look, you know. Though some of them get on my nerves, they don't deserve to die." The sleek Beerain walked up beside Grasshop.

"But what have the humans done for us?" she argued, spitting the word humans out like it was poison. It was obvious that she didn't approve. "In my opinion, we should let them fight their own battles and leave us out of it."

"Think of everything that Hunter has done for us. We need to aid in his rescue."

"What has he done that makes him saveable**(3)**?"

"He saved us ALL from Mantid! Of course he deserves to be saved!" Beerain's eyes narrowed.

"That doesn't mean a thing. We would have gotten rid of Mantid eventually," Beerain snarled.

"Does too."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Does not."

This childish argument lasted until Buguese's last nerve snapped. "That. Is. Enough!" he yelled. "For once, Grasshop is correct. We do owe it to them to help." Grasshop looked as if he would kiss the leader insect.

"Thank you, Buguese. I knew that someone would eventually notice my brill..."

"But," Buguese said, interrupting Grasshop's rant. Probably for the better. "Beerain does have a point as well. Hunter is exceptionally powerful and cannot be taken lightly. When was the last time one of us actually beat him?" Silence followed the question, giving the answer by default. "Exactly and we were Mantid's strongest fighters. So, in order to beat him, who knows how many Invectid lives will be lost."

"That's true," Stags said, deciding to finally put his own words into the conversation. "But we'll only lose as many Invectids as we bring. The humans could lose everyone."

* * *

_DA: There you go! The Invectid chapter is over and done with. I liked it. The bugs were rather in character. Lumen, on the other hand wasn't... I'm going to try and push them back on track soon._

_**1) **__Was anybody else thinking Toy Story when they read this? I was._

_**2) **__Made this up on the fly. I had something completely different written before. I apologize if it makes no sense._

_**3)**__ I know this isn't a word. Just work with me here._

_DA: So, what'd you guys think? I think I know why the characters are getting so off. I've read the Spider Riders novels and half of the characters, like Lumen, have completely different personalities. Those characters are rubbing off on the anime's characters for me. Sorry. I'm working on it. _

_Next chapter focuses on a new character. Don't worry, she'll be one of the last ones of this book. And you guys have met her earlier in the story. It's a really short chapter so it's my hope that it'll be up quicker. :D I think that I have one more OC and technically she's not even an OC. I'll explain more when we get there though. Well, adios for the morning. Bed time for me._

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	13. Chapter 13

_DA: I'm back! I just had a relaxing vacation in Mrytle Beach. I got back yesterday afternoon. I meant to put this chapter up yesterday but I passed out on the couch yesterday. When my mom tried to wake me up, I just grumbled at her apparently. I don't remember that. Anyways, here's my first OC chapter. Those who don't like, don't read. It's a short chapter that doesn't matter whether or not you read. Nothing that means anything to the story line yet. _

_Disclaimer: NEVER WILL OWN!_

_DA: Enjoy! By the way, I upped Hunter's age to 15. He acts too old for thirteen. I'll be changing it in the first chapter later, when this story is finished. Just so you know. _

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Chapter 13

A young girl in her mid teens walked through the short green grass as the sun shone on her back, making her feel overheated. She wore a pair of jean shorts that she had ripped herself through wear along with a black Lord of the Rings t-shirt. (1)

The girl had fire red hair that was angled in such a way that the back was shorter than the front. Her eyes, which were guarded as usual, were a gentle sea green. Her hair brought out the color of her eyes in a way that eyeliner could not.

She knelt in front of a polished slab of marble, placing a rose in front of it before removing the dead ones. She closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Hi, dad," she whispered awkwardly. She had been to the cemetery numerous times but this would never get any easier. "I miss you. I wish you were still here."

"Um, the police called today. They've finally given up searching. I've been expecting it for some time now. I mean it has been a year." Her voice cracked on the last word. "They've declared him dead. I'm not too sure what to do. I had no one left besides my brother and now he's gone too. Even after he promised..." She paused for a moment, putting a hand over her mouth.

"I know he's not dead," she said firmly. "Somehow, I'd know if he was dead. I'm just not too sure where he is. Dad, I need you to help guide me to him. I'm starting to lose hope. I'm even starting to wonder if this 'twin sense' is wrong." She planted her hands on the ground in front of her and looked down, her shadow darkening the color of the grass. "Please, Dad! Help me out! I don't want to lose him too!" She sat there for a while, fighting back tears as she waited for a response.

"Excuse me, miss," a voice said suddenly, startling her. She cleared her tight throat and looked up at the man. It was the detective from the police station who'd been working on her brother's case: Mr Thyssing. (2) She hastily wiped away the tears under her eyes.

"Yes?"

"You're Blaze Steele, am I correct?" (3)

"Yes you are," she said, standing up. Mr. Thyssing held out a book bound in worn brown leather. Her eyes widened at the sight of the old journal.

"This was found nearby in an old temple. It had your brother's DNA on it so I assumed that you would want it." She nodded silently and took the journal. She held it close to her heart, closing her eyes. Blaze felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at the detective. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, suddenly aware of how young she was. "If there's anything you need, please don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'll remember that." He gave a small, sad smile.

"I'll leave you to your grieving then." She nodded. He left and she ran her fingers over the cover of the journal. The soft leather was comforting somehow. She felt weak at the knees as she slid her fingers underneath the cover and opened it. The inside cover read two words: Digger Steele. Blaze's heart sank. Hopelessly, her eyes slid to the first page.

"Deep within the Earth, there exists another world completely different from our own. An underground land unknown to humankind," she whispered, reading the first line on the page. (4) "No way! This is where Grandpa kept his old stories." She read more into the journal until her eyes fell on three words: The Inner World. Blaze's eyes widened. "That's where he went. But there's no way he could have found it." She frowned. "He was one to strive for the impossible. Maybe, just maybe, my idiot brother found the Inner World. Which begs the question, should I follow him or not?"

Blaze suddenly smiled. "Of course I am. I'm not going to leave him alone. There's nothing left for me here anyways." Just before she left, she glanced over her shoulder at her dad's tombstone. "Thanks, dad." She turned and left, a bright, hopeful smile on her face. "Hunter, I'm coming."

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_DA: There. It's done. Told you it was a very short chapter._

_1) I do not own Lord of the Rings. I'm just going in the mood for Lord of the Rings. I'm watching the extended editions right now. :D_

_2) I was clueless for a last name when I was writing this. So I picked up a Chicken Soup book and used the first last name I saw. _

_3) Meet Blaze Steele. Hunter's twin sister and one of my few main OC's. She's going to be important in a few chapters. _

_4) Yep, the exact lines from the first episode. I had to go through it first, but they are the exact lines._

_DA: Well, how do you like Blaze? Please tell me. It's better to tell me than to let her be as is if there's a problem with her. She'll be making a reappearance in a few chapters. That time, though, she'll be doing something important. We'll be back to Arachna next chapter. And shit will be hitting the fan. Well, back to watching Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. :D_

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	14. Chapter 14

_DA: Welcome back to another exciting chapter of __A New Evil__! I don't know how exciting this shall be but things are going to start picking up real soon. Another chapter or so. Welcome to the calm before the storm, well, not really. Just read and decide for yourself. _

_Disclaimer: Don't own the characters or the basic concept. I do however own my OC's and the plot. :D_

_DA: Enjoy! No warnings this chapter! Yay!_

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Chapter 14

A few weeks after Lumen, Igneous, and Aqune went home, everything was oddly quiet. There was no word from the Invectids ad the Rods hadn't made their move yet. But _yet_ was the keyword.

"Hurry up, you useless pieces of junk," Melinda yelled at her army of robots, knowing that yelling was wasted on them. Next to her stood, her puppet. Hunter's hand were grasped firmly behind his back and he stared blankly at the army. He was clad in his usual street garb. She smiled as she glanced at him. He hadn't been giving her any trouble lately. Either he'd given up, which was unlikely, or he'd gotten to weak to fight. Though technically he was under her spell, it was the Dark Oracle who really had the control and through his powers, the spell's power had been doubled. The Dark Oracle also seemed to use Hunter as a scapegoat for his anger, always muttering something about this being a way to get back at his sister. A dark bruise had blossomed on the side of Hunter's face as a result as the latest strike.

"When shall we attack, ma'am?" he asked, speaking for the first time in what seemed like weeks. The Dark Oracle had twisted the spell so it wasn't as much as a controlling spell as an overshadowing spell, allowing a flash of Hunter's personality through. Though horribly diluted, it still existed.

"As soon as we are ready, Hunter," she responded. She analyzed their progress. It was nearly time. "Very soon, by the way things look now." A smile crept onto Hunter's face, though the emotion never reached his eyes.

"Good." His mark pulsed with power.

**SRSRSRSRSRSRSR**

Igneous sat atop Flame, thinking, as they both conducted the usual patrol. "This doesn't make sense," he said aloud.

"What doesn't?" Flame asked. **(1)** Igneous motioned around him.

"This! Anybody would have attacked by now. We're at an obvious disadvantage. So why haven't the attacked?" Both of them pondered that thought.

"You're right. Any good tactician would have attacked or made an attempt, at least." Igneous nodded, his hand gripping his chin.

"Yea, that's what I mean. It's almost like they are waiting for the Invectids to lend a hand. That's almost f..." Flame cut him off.

"Igneous! Look straight ahead!" The Spider Rider's head snapped up and his hazel eyes widened.

"Oh no," he whispered. In front of them was a complete army of thousands of Rods, all glinting in the sunlight. "Go Flame," he yelled. "Back to Arachna! We have to warn everybody."

**SRSRSRSR**

Buguese sat at his desk, writing his speech. A small Invectid burst into the room, a swarm of small insect spies buzzing around him. "What is it, Dungobeet?" the Invectid Lord asked, his voice sounding exhausted. The smaller bug walked up and whispered in Buguese's ear. "What?" he demanded. "Arachna is about to be attacked and they don't have a clue?"

Dungobeet nodded meekly, holding up one of his spies. He threw it up into the air and it started playing a video. The recording showed thousands upon thousands of shining, human-like machines. Each moment the video lasted, Buguese's eyes grew wider. When the video cut off, the bug fell out of the air and into Dungobeet's waiting hand. Buguese got up, frowning.

"Dungobeet, gather everybody to the city square. This time, I think they'll listen. My speech is going on early. I have to do something before it's too late." The small, skittish Invectid nodded and scurried away. Buguese sat back down, grabbing his discarded writing utensil. He started to scratch out and rewrite parts of his speech. His thoughts were focused on one thing.

_I have to make them listen. I have to. I won't let Aqune die, not now._

**SRSRSR**

Prince Lumen took a slow breath in, trying to calm himself. "Okay," he said, surprising himself with a steady tone. "Igneous, I want you to ready the troops. I'll call the others and inform them of the current situation." Igneous bowed, looking a little pale with the shock of what he had seen.

"Yes, sir!" he said. "I'll attend to that immediately." With that said, the commander turned and left, walking almost mechanically. Once he was gone, Lumen early collapsed in his throne. The prince moved to bring his manacle up to his mouth to contact the other riders. His arm trembled with fear and worry. Lumen frowned.

"Pull yourself together Lumen!" he scolded himself. "You've never given into fear before. You've killed Invectid after Invectid without flinching. What's so different now?" Shrinking back, he answered his own question. "Because they're machines. The barely have a weakness."

"Yes," his spider, Ebony, said, startling the prince. **(2) **That's true but we exploit that weakness and that's enough to send the armies crashing to the ground." The spider paused for a moment, observing the pale, sweaty face of his rider. "What's got you so worried? You're as nervous as a webling.** (3) **It's only an army." The prince swallowed, trying to stop himself from shaking.

"Do you think Hunter's with that army?" Ebony did not have an answer. The possibility made them both uneasy.

**SRSRSR**

Corona sat in her room alone with a shade drawn over the only window. Her knees were pressed against her chest and her arms rested, folded, on top of them. Her eyes were red and puffy and her face was streaked with dried tears. "I was so useless and cowardly," she whispered, reliving the moment that she witnessed Hunter's kidnapping.

She buried her face in her arms, sighing. "I should have done something. Anything would have been better than running away. I could've even made an attempt to bring Hunter back with me. I'm such and idiot." Tears dripped down her face. "I failed him. And by failing him, I've just about doomed all of Arachna. I can't do anything right. I'm completely useless."

There was a knock on the door. "Don't come in!" Corona yelled, guessing who it was. The doorknob turned seemingly of its own accord.

"I'm coming in anyway," the kind, gentle voice of her sister said. Corona groaned, not at all in the mood for company. All she wanted to do was crawl under the nearest rock and stay there. There was a soft click as the door was shut again. Aqune then sat next to her. "Hey, Corona. How are you doing?" The blond said nothing, choosing to keep her face from sight. Aqune sighed, getting back up. "It's much to dark in here for a Handmaiden of the Oracle. You have to be able to see the sun she created." She pulled back the curtain and light flooded into the room.

Corona winced as the bright light pierced her corneas. "Just leave me alone," she said, her voice muffled by her arms. Aqune crossed her arms, her amethyst eyes trained on her sister.

"No," she said somewhat gently. "Not until you talk about this. You've been cooped up in here for days. You need to get some fresh air."

"There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is. I can tell Corona. Now the question is, if you're ready to talk about it." Corona hesitated, biting her lip.

"No, I guess I'm not ready," she said, finally facing her sister. Aqune sat back down on the bed and hugged her.

"That's alright. You'll talk when you're ready," she whispered in her sister's ear. "And for the record, you're not useless." Corona smiled and they separated. "Now, how about we go do something fun today? Get you out of this room." She tapped her finger against her chin in thought. "Hmm... Let's go shopping!" Just as she said that, both of their manacles beeped and Prince Lumen's voice filtered through.

"All Spider Riders must report to the throne room immediately!" his voice said and then, it cut off. Aqune sighed.

"Well, I guess we're going to have to go shopping some other time." Corona nodded, almost upset. A shopping spree had sounded fun. She smiled up at her sister.

"That's okay," she said. "We'll go another time." She hopped off the bed and stretched. "Let's get going. We can't keep the prince waiting."

"Right." Aqune scanned over Corona quickly and was pleased to find that her eyes were sparkling with energy again. She walked to the door and opened it. Corona stopped her as they were walking out.

"Hey, Aqune," she said. "Thanks for the pep talk. I really needed it." Aqune nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. They walked in silence for a while. Eventually, the blond rider broke the silence. "What do you think Prince Lumen wants? He sounded urgent." Aqune shrugged.

"I don't know. We're going to find out soon and my guess is that whatever he called the meeting for isn't good."

"That's what I was afraid of." Upon reaching the throne room, the guards snapped to attention. They pounded their spears into the ground and yelled to announce the siblings' arrival.

"The Champions Corona and Aqune have arrived!" they yelled. Both girls winced. There was a time when Corona loved to hear the announcement. Now, though, it just felt like a burden.

"Well, send them in!" Lumen yelled, his voice cracking. **(4) **The siblings exchanged a look. The prince's voice mostly cracked when he was under extreme stress. The guards grabbed the handles to the double doors and pulled them open. The girls muttered their thanks and walked through the doors.

The tension inside the throne room was palpable. The only rider missing from the room was Igneous. He wasn't taking his usual place beside the prince. Corona and Aqune quickly bowed to Lumen, showing their respect. Aqune scanned the prince, trying to find what was bothering him. He was pale, very pale. His lilac eyes darted across the room nervously. His hands, which were clasped in front of him, were trembling. Sweat glued his dirty blond hair to his forehead. It glistened in the lighting. His eyes were filled with worry. It seemed that his usual laid back nature had been pushed aside and that meant that this meeting was bad news. Lumen nodded to them in greeting. "Okay," he said after clearing his throat. "Everybody follow me." There was a slight tremor to his voice.

Without another word, he walked to a draping on the wall. The other riders watched him as he pulled aside the cloth and revealed a secret opening. He disappeared into the opening, leaving the riders to look at each other in confusion. The prince's head appeared in the doorway. "Well, come on! Follow me."

The princess followed her brother as he disappeared again. Magma followed her. The sister Handmaidens went into the opening as well with a slight hesitation. Upon entry, the girls' eyes widened. Lumen was lighting candles all around the room as a source of light. The room was ornate, fit for a king. A table draped with lace was centered in the room, eight cushioned chairs lining it. It was quite obvious that Lumen had taken the study and changed it into a meeting room. Each chair was for each of the eight riders, or would have been if they had full numbers.

Lumen blew out the stick he'd been using for lighting the candles and sat down at the head of the table, motioning for the others to take a seat as well. Sparkle sat next to her brother, Magma next to her. The two sisters sat next to each other on the opposite side of the table. The room was silent for a moment as each member of the group pondered how empty the table looked.

"Guys," Lumen finally said, meeting everyone's eyes. "I have very bad news."

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_DA: Well, that's that. For today. Explanation of what's going on next chapter where we meet the last of my OC's... Even though she's not technically mine... I'll explain that later. _

_**(1) **__FLAME SPOKE!_

_**(2) **__EBONY SPOKE TOO! THE WORLD IS ENDING!_

_**(3) **__Book reference. A webling is a spider child._

_**(4) **__You guys have to remember that Lumen is young, young enough to just be hitting puberty... Which explains his voice cracking. :/_

_DA: Well, what do you guys think? I feel as if my brain has been splattered against a wall. I don't mean a headache, I mean I've been having trouble concentrating on summer reading... It sucks... Review please, cuz they make me very happy. :D_

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	15. Chapter 15

_DA: I am sooooo sorry! I had meant to put this up before school started but I think I was struck with a Bleach obsession... It's going to be like that for a while though. At least until school work lets up. It's my stupid fault for taking an AP course. I have absolutely no time anymore. I had some anonymous reviews so I'm gonna answer them here._

_To hunter: These chapters are 100% mine! I'm not too sure what you meant by your review but they are all original, based off the english anime of course. :D_

_To darkangel555: You stole my name... :D I'm so sorry for the lateness... I haven't had a life since school started. And don't worry, the action's starting up next chapter. _

_To Monkeymaiden14: Thanks for the complement. And you'll have to find out. I haven't even written her arriving at the Inner World yet so if they meet up again, it won't be for a while._

_Disclaimer: NO OWNAGE OVER HERE!_

_DA: Now, onto chapter 15._

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Chapter 15

"Lumen," Sparkle said, her eyes bright with worry for her brother. "Shouldn't we wait for Igneous?" She never missed much, including the fact that her brother's best friend since birth wasn't in the room right now.

"Igneous will be here soon enough. He's doing something for me," Lumen responded tartly, stress causing his words to sharpen. The princess shrunk back, stunned by his reaction. Lumen ignored her sudden submissiveness, focusing at the topic at hand. "Okay, now that we're done with questions, I have some news. Arachna's on the brink of attack. The Rods are coming and are running with forces that well exceed numbers of over two thousand." This news was received with gasps of astonishment. They'd been expecting an attack for some time now but not with these numbers. Lumen stood up and began pacing. "These are only estimated numbers but we know that their attack force is larger than most. It is my belief that they plan on wiping us out here and now. And they're bringing enough power to succeed.

"I've sent a messenger bug to the Invectids, pleading for their help. I'm not sure if we'll receive it so we need to be prepared for the worst. Igneous is preparing our troops and evacuating the city as we speak. We're moving them to the old Invectid base. They should be safe there if we can keep the battle here. I'm not sure when the battle when the attack will come; it could happen anytime within the week. I've brought you here so you could be prepared. Prep your gear and keep it with you always. Sleep lightly so you can hear the signal if it sounds within the night.

"Now when in battle, I want us to stick together, to fight as a team. Only together can we succeed. There are six of us, not including our army. Aqune, since you're the only one of us who has used the Oracle Keys, I want you to try and find the leader who is no doubt Melinda." Aqune nodded, her face worried. Her hands were curled into fists in her lap. She didn't like this one bit. The prince's purple eyes left her face and turned towards everybody else. "I want the rest of you to protect Arachna. This is our stronghold. If it is taken then all humans in the Inner World are doomed." He sat back down and dropped his head into his hands.

"There's one more thing," he added softly. "This is the one piece of uncertainty that could mean the difference between victory and defeat." His hands curled around his blond tresses and loosened, dropping to his sides. He looked up, a sweat drop running down the side of his face. "We do not know if Hunter is with his army." Everyone's eyes focused on him, different emotions flashing through each pair. Some had fear, others concern; one pair was distressed.

"I'd love to tell you that he's not there, to give you the hope of victory in these dark times. To tell the truth, all the facts point against him coming. Their enormous attack force should show that he's _not_ with them. But then again, our enemy has proved us wrong on every account. They should have attacked when we went to speak with the Invectids. We were weak then. If Hunter's with them, then he's only there to ensure their victory.

"I also have knowledge, from one of our scouts, that webs are located on the trail the Rods are using. So more than likely, Hunter's with them. With two Oracle Keys." Lumen took a deep breath before continuing. "I've told you everything I know. All I ask of you is to prepare for the worst because the worst is likely on its way."

It was a dismissal. As everyone began to leave, Lumen called Corona and Aqune back. "What is it, Prince Lumen?" Corona questioned, confused. The prince sighed.

"I hate asking you to tap into your powers as Handmaidens but I'm desperate. The Spider Riders are desperate," Lumen explained. Aqune seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

"So you want us to see of we can get any definites. You want us to check when we will be attacked and whether or not Hunter is with them," Aqune said, thoughtful. Lumen nodded, a halfhearted smile making its way onto his face.

"If you could." Aqune pursed her lips, considering the request.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure that we can purposefully look into the future, but I can try." She looked at her sister, who smiled in response.

"_We _will try, you mean," Corona corrected. Aqune nodded, a grin playing on her own lips.

"Of course." Lumen looked relieved. His face falling back into his normal relaxed expression. A grin was finally relighting his face from its previous somber countenance.

"That's all I ask," he said. With that said, Corona and Aqune bowed and turned to leave. "Oh, and be careful you two. Please." Corona looked over her shoulder and winked, a playful half-smile on her face.

"Don' worry, we will," she responded before she and her sister left the room.

SRSRSRSR

Igneous was shouting orders to the Arachnian army, getting them together for the first time in a while. Some were being sent with the evacuating people as protection. The city was in complete chaos. People were rushing here and there, trying to gather their belongings before they left their houses. Nobody seemed to know where anybody was. The streets were packed with frightened adults and their children.

The usually stoic commander was unnerved. Though his face scarcely gave away emotion, his actions showed his feelings. The size of the army he'd seen scared him almost as badly as his irrational fear of his feelings. He was jumpy, like the prince. He frequently scanned around himself, checking for enemies.

A young, very talented woman who was steadily moving up the ranks in he corps approached him. "Sir," she greeted him, saluting. He nodded at her. "All troops are ready for battle, sir. Whenever the enemy wishes to attack, we can counter."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Petra," he responded. Petra was a woman, around his age, with short dark hair and piercing green eyes. **(1) **He'd always admired her for her skills in battle, despite being a normal female warrior. Though she could get mouthy at times, the girl was as tough as nails. She wore normal army attire and had a sword attached to her hip. Her sharp eyes studied his face.

"I know you're nervous, commander," she said quietly. "We all are. I just wish that..." She trailed off, almost as if she was uncertain of her own words. Igneous rested a hand on her shoulder.

"We all wish, Petra. It's a shame that wishes rarely come true." **(2)** She smiled at him, her normally hard eyes warming. Then the expression dropped off her face, looking over his shoulder. She paled and took a slow breath, her eyes wide and terrified. Igneous swallowed and looked back, almost afraid to look. "Oh, no," he breathed.

Thousands of machines glinted in he sunlight, marching forward over the land. Though they were still mere pinpricks on the horizon, Igneous thought he could see a transport. He suddenly swore, looking down at the city. "The evacuation groups haven't had time to leave yet." His mind raced, trying to figure out what to do. A cool hand touched his face and someone called his name.

"Commander Igneous," Petra said, finally dragging him out of his daze. "I'll handle the army. You go to the Spider Riders; they need you more than we do."

"Since when do you give me orders?" he said, a wry smile on his face.

"Since you just became too stressed to function. Go, we'll be fine." He looked at her for a long time before nodding reluctantly.

"Alright then. I'll go. You have full control of the army until I am available to give orders. Don't break them." She smiled at him.

"Relax, we'll get through this. We always pull through somehow. We'll be fine." Igneous sighed.

"If you say so..." He looked her over one last time, a strange but heavy weight settling in on his chest. He had a feeling that he was never going to see the woman again. Petra raised her eyebrows in question. He shook his head and waved goodbye, taking off at a run towards Arachna Castle.

SRSRSR

Buguese walked up to the podium, trying to appear as professional as possible. His speech, though mostly memorized already, was set on the stand for aid. He felt a mix of anxiety and urgency settle in his stomach. This was it; the time where he had to convince his people to help the humans. There was no time for failure. Their sister race would be attacked any time now. If he failed here and now, there was no doubt that every one of them would perish.

He looked into the crowd, his ruby eyes shining in the newly acquired sunlight. A new wave of doubt washed over him. They had worked so hard for this sunlight, how many would actually volunteer to sacrifice themselves so soon after finally gaining it? He drew himself up, pushing the negative thoughts from his mind. He sucked in a breath and began to speak:

"My good people, I don't know what rumors have been going around but you all have a decision to make. You see, a few weeks ago we were visited by three of the Spider Riders. Their visit brought to my attention a dire situation that could bring about the end of our world. A new enemy has surfaced and the humans are requesting some much needed help. In fact, as I speak, an enormous army is closing in on Arachna Castle. With the numbers they have, I suspect that they wish to wipe them from the face of the Inner World. Your choice is whether or not we should help them." He paused for a moment, observing the reactions. Though everybody was silent, looks of annoyance and rejection were on most faces.

"Before you make your decision I would like to bring something to your attention. Lord Mantid was a liar. He cheated and manipulated in order to get his own way. He did not work so hard in order to bring sunlight to our world. He worked to gain supreme power for himself." He fell silent again after the bitter words left his mouth. The crowd was beginning to stir now in disbelief. "Mantid did no perish because he worked so hard for our sunlight. He was banished by the Oracle because of what he'd done.

"Now I'd like to tell you who really brought our sunlight back. It was the Spider Riders. They managed to subdue Mantid long enough to be sent away. They are the ones who are truly responsible for the return of light.

"I'm not going to lie to you. The enemy will be tough. In fact, their leader has managed to take control of the strongest Spider Rider: Hunter Steele. There may even be a chance that you'll have to face him." His voice grew soft. "I'll understand if you choose not to help but I want you to understand one more thing:

"If this enemy destroys the humans, they'll come after us next. We'll have no option for help then and, more than likely, we'll follow our sister race in death. Do you want to die after just achieving our long sought after goal? We will gather here to leave in a half hour. If any able-bodied warrior wishes, they may join us. That is all for today, but please, consider your options carefully." He stepped down from the podium and walked off the stage to where his commanders waited.

"That was one heck of a speech, Buguese," Grasshop said, looking like he would smile if he could. Beerain eyed him skeptically.

"Are you sure about this Buguese?" she asked. The leader nodded, stopping.

"You don't have to join us. You can stay here and protect whomever remains," he suggested. She snorted and turned, unfurling her wings.

"And miss out on the fight? No thanks. I'll be there no matter what my hatred tells me." With that said, she jumped into the sky and flew away. Buguese watched her go, frowning.

"Meet me in fifteen minutes in the army outpost." He walked away as well.

SRSRSRSR

Igneous ran into the throne room, gasping for air. Lumen looked up, startled out of a nap. **(3)** "Igneous," he yawned. "What's going on?" The Spider Rider commander took a few breaths, restoring his oxygen.

"What's wrong is we're under attack!" he yelled. Prince Lumen sat up, his eyes wide.

"Already?" he asked, breathless. Igneous just nodded. Lumen took a deep breath in and stood up. "Guards!" Two people entered the room, spears held in their hands. "Sound the alarm. It's time." Lumen's personal guards nodded and sprinted off. The prince turned back to Igneous. "Let's go," The other nodded and they ran off, heading to the top of the walls, the usual place to go whenever the alarm sounds. "Who's handling the army?" Igneous glanced at Prince Lumen.

"Lieutenant Petra." Lumen nodded, approving of his choice. He slowed to a walk, looking at the tall walls protecting the city.

"Time for work." He held up his manacle, Igneous following suite. "Ebony!"

"Flame!"

"Spider Out!" Their spiders appeared and they jumped on as the enormous creatures began their climb.

SRSRSR

A gong sounded, making Corona drop whatever food she'd been holding. She was making dinner for Magma, her sister, and Sparkle. Magma silently cheered as he heard the alarm. Corona's cooking could destroy even the strong stomach. He got up and grabbed a roll as he ran out. "Already?" Aqune asked, surprised.

"I guess so," Corona murmured. "Well, let's get going. The army won't wait for us." Aqune nodded at her and grabbed Sparkle's hand, leading her to where she needed to be, where they all needed to be. They arrived at the wall as the others were climbing up it. They took no time in doing the same.

The riders' expressions as they looked out on the land were ones of shock. Sure they had heard of the great numbers, but now they actually understood. Aqune fingered the Oracle Keys in her pocket nervously. She had a bad feeling about this. One look at her sister told her ha she wasn't alone. "Are we all ready?" Prince Lumen called, his voice reaching the army below. There were multiple cries of affirmative, not all of them optimistic. Lumen scanned around him, biting his lip. He took a breath in and let it out slowly to calm himself. Then, catching the other riders' eyes, held up the arm that bore his manacle and shouted the two key words: "Arachna Power!" They all transformed instantly, armor flowing over their bodies.

As the transformations finished, they jumped to greet the first wave of the army, praying that this day wouldn't be their last.

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_DA: Nothing snappy for me to say about this chapter. Other than the fact that this was loooonnng._

_(1) This is Petra, the character that I'm borrowing from the Spider Rider novels. _

_(2) Wow... That was dark..._

_(3) Only Lumen could sleep through a time like this. Another funny story. I had a crazy urge to have him act like a pervert during this. You know, making out with a girl. It took all my will power to not do that._

_DA: Well, Junior year's been hell so far. Wish me luck. Remember to read and review. No promises with updates... Sorry. :D_

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	16. Chapter 16

_DA: Hello! I'm back! And seeing as it's the start of my Christmas break, I'm going to celebrate it by updating this fic before someone decides to attack me... School has been hell and I warned you that it'd be a while until I updated. Well, here's the chapter that you've all been waiting for. The start of the battle of Arachna! I worked all summer on this fight so it should be good. _

_Disclaimer: No_

_DA: Well, here you are._

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Chapter 16

The battle started as rough as everybody had foreseen it to be; and it didn't look as if it was going to lighten up anytime soon. Every iron spear met either a Spider Rider weapon or the swords of the Arachnian army. Though barely five minutes into the fight, Rods' broken bodies littered the ground, making footing hard. The foot soldiers were tripping and stumbling, trying to keep moving. In a battle like this, if a soldier kept moving, they stayed alive.

Prince Lumen and Igneous fought back to back, looking out for one another. As the only pair that has known each other since birth, their attacks were perfectly executed, perfectly in sync. No enemy stood a chance against the pair. Any that came near were instantly dismembered by the prince and his commander.

Igneous was currently struggling with one stubborn Rod; Lumen was held likewise. Their spiders were pressing against each other as their riders fought. The commander dodged his Rod's clumsy blow and struck the exposed red wire. It was only his second hit and, since the wires had been reinforced, it was going to take many more attacks. The machines though extremely clumsy, were surprisingly strong. Their sheer strength made up for their awkward movements.

Lumen felt sweat drip down his face, gasping for some much needed air. His opponent was as tough as Igneous'. He blocked a spear with his shield and, after gathering some of the Oracle's energy in his blade, struck at the weak point, severing the wire completely. Then he heard Igneous cry out and turned to look towards the sound. The man had been driven to his knees, the Rod pressing down on him. It's spear clashed with Igneous' lance. His arms shook with effort, the left arm drenched in blood.

"Spinning Blade **(1)**," Lumen called, slicing down with his now white blade. The robot froze as a massive amount of energy the prince had just released struck it. Then it fell apart, each piece hitting the ground with a clang. Igneous smiled at Lumen, standing up. His right hand clutched at the cut on his left upper arm.

"Thank you, Prince Lumen. That was a rather close one. Too close for comfort," he thanked in between gasps for air.

"There have been a lot of those lately." Prince Lumen scanned the battle field, his face fixed in a frown. "And I don't like it. We seem to be dealing with a different version than the ones we usually face." Igneous' hazel eyes narrowed. He had come to the same conclusion in his fight. "It seems that no matter how many we take down, more pop up. These things don't get tired either, but we will. Eventually we'll start losing more and the enemy will overtake us." A gust of wind tugged at the boy's hair.

"We'll just have to pray that we can get through this. Pray that we can somehow get the advantage." Prince Lumen nodded in response.

SRSRSR

Aqune sliced down another machine, attempting to pave a path to the back of the army. It seemed, though, that no matter how much she advanced further into the robot army, she never got any closer to the exit. There was no time for rest with her. It had been her choice to dive into the heart of the army and she was going to have to deal with the consequences.

The Handmaiden wondered whether or not she should use the keys. They were meant to be a secret but the situation was about to become dire. After deciding against it, she fought on, using every ounce of her power to keep going. She destroyed a Rod just as another poised a strike at her unprotected back. She turned, only catching a glimpse of it before it exploded into a bright light. "Wha...?" she mumbled, straightening.

Smiling, Corona rode up next to her. The blond then pouted, glaring at her sister. "You could say thank you, you know..." Aqune shook her head, clearing it of dazed thoughts.

"Thanks, Corona," she said, giving a small smile in return. She then threw herself at the nearest Rod, her face once again fixed in a frown. Corona did the same, shooting arrows faster than the eye could see. Together, they created a large hole in the enemy army.

Igneous and Prince Lumen soon caught up to the sisters, both looking worse for wear. Princess Sparkle and Magma followed them, more or less in the same state. "Were you two even listening to me when I said I wanted us to stick together?" Lumen asked angrily, scowling at the two of them.

"You did say that you wanted me to find and fight Melinda," Aqune pointed out, resting a hand on the place where the keys were. The prince raised an eyebrow at Corona.

"And you followed her, right?" Corona nodded, looking sheepish. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head. "Well, we have to stick together now. We'll all help Aqune find her opponent. Then we'll keep the army off her back. This way we can stay in a group." He raised his sword into a battle position, the sunlight reflecting off the silver of the blade.

They moved to attack but a voice rang out from nearby. "Stop!" a familiar female voice yelled, halting every robot in the area. Other's still moved beyond but the halted ones formed a barrier. A few parted and the woman they dreaded appeared. Melinda strode in, a malevolent smirk on her face. "Let me be the first to say hello, Spider Riders. I wish I could great all of you but it seems that one of you is missing." She chuckled, a hand going to her mouth.

Corona snarled and would have leapt forward if it wasn't for her sister and the others holding her back. "You let him go, you monster," she screamed, feeling tears of anger drip down her face.**(2) **"Give him back!" Melinda smiled, her dark eyes narrowed.

"You want him?" she asked, amusement apparent in her voice. "Come get him." Corona just glared at the psychic through the haze of tears, feeling more hate for this woman than she had ever felt for anybody. "Hunter," the dark haired woman called. "Time to play." Her voice went dark with sadistic intentions.

A young man stepped out from behind her, causing mixed reactions. His bright red hair fell around his face in his natural hairstyle, his green headband secured tightly around his head. Everything about him was scarily familiar, from his hair to his armor. The only exception was his eyes. They, though still the emerald green that they all knew and loved, were completely void of all emotion. A bruise had blossomed on the side of his face, dying the skin a dark purple. Other than that, his appearance screamed Hunter. There was no question about it; this was their missing leader.

Aqune's face was one of stone. She drew her blade and pointed it straight at Melinda. The psychic smiled at her. "You want to fight me, young Handmaiden? Well then, please. Attack." Aqune hesitated, Melinda's words making her wary. Something wasn't right. She lowered her blade, closing her eyes.

"I won't fall for your tricks," she said, listening carefully to the sounds around her. "If you want me to fight you, you'll have to take the first strike." The woman chuckled.

"Alright then. Hunter, you're up." Aqune's eyes flew open, astounded. She blocked as Hunter attacked with his lance. The Handmaiden felt the blow straight to her heart. The Oracle's cry was loud in her ears. She had to stop this. Melinda had crossed the line by taking Hunter. The only way to end this whole thing was by defeating Melinda and, as of right now, that meant going through Hunter.

She countered his previous blow, attacking his torso. He sidestepped, her blade narrowly missing its target. Going with his dodging movement, he sliced downward with his lance. Aqune stepped back to dodge but the movement played right into his attack. He swooped his blade, pulling it upwards and straight at Aqune. She only had time to get her shield in front of the attack. The Oracle screamed in pain as the slab of metal cracked.

Everybody else watched from the sidelines, all keeping a wary eye on Melinda. "Her fighting style's off," Igneous commented, always the observant one. The prince nodded.

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Lumen responded, almost trying to reassure himself. "I hope."

"It must be because she's fighting Hunter. That would be enough to throw any of us off."

"No there's something else," Corona said, throwing thoughts into the conversation. "Her face isn't as fierce as it is when she's normally fighting. It almost looked pained and I think I know why." The boys looked at her, expecting her to finish her thought. The blond was silent for a moment, her eyes narrowed in pain, before finally continuing. "The Oracle." She then focused back onto her sister and the boys couldn't get anymore information out of her.

Hunter seemed to have the upper hand. He'd forced Aqune onto the defensive. Even when she managed to weasel in a strike, she was blocked. Her shield was cracked and the armor on her shoulders wasn't faring much better.

After blocking another attack from Hunter, she decided that it was time to switch tactics. She pushed Hunter's lance off her sword, knocking him off balance. She then drew back her blade in preparation of a slash. By the time she made the move, though, Hunter surprised her. A moment earlier, he'd been trying to regain his footing on Shadow; now as she struck, his lance was immediately blocking her sword.

Aqune gazed helplessly at Hunter, trying to find a shred of emotion, any shred of it. The irony was that not too long ago, the roles were reversed. "Hunter," she whispered. "This isn't right. We should be helping each other win this battle, not trying to kill each other." He jumped back, twirling his lance around him. "I'm sorry, Hunter." She ran her hand along the flat of the blade, reinforcing it with some of the Oracle's power. It started to glow faintly. "But if this is the only way to get you back to normal then by all means, I'll do it." Yelling a battle cry, she ran forward, getting off Portia and onto Shadow.

She dodged an attack from Hunter and slashed diagonally with her sword, allowing a small beam of the Oracle's energy to protrude from the tip thus elongating the sword. As predicted, the redhead's lance got in the way of her attack again. But this time, something rather unexpected happened. As the new power from Aqune's sword caused the lance to start to crack, the beam of power sliced open Hunter's cheek.

Aqune winced as the Oracle's cry once again penetrated her ears. Somebody else cried out too. She was able to pick out the voice rather easily: Melinda. The Handmaiden glanced up at Hunter and was shocked to see the confusion on his face. He was staring at her, emotions flickering through his eyes. He was confused, scared, angry, happy, and under i all, nervous. The moment she saw the emotions, they vanished and the spell was back in place. Near Melinda, though, things were beginning to happen.

SRSRSR

Petra silently crept among the army of now motionless Rods. She had accepted the reprieve with open arms and ordered a few of her troops to take a breather while others fought with the remaining moving machines. The groups switched every so often. The resting group still had to remain watchful as the enemy was unpredictable.

She had sat and relaxed for a little while with the army but she couldn't sit still. She had to find Commander Igneous and offer any help she could. What she saw when she reached the center area wasn't pleasant. Commander Hunter **(3)** was fighting Lady Aqune. Petra'd known that the Spider Rider leader was missing but this was a shock. Lady Corona was in tears and she kept glaring at a dark haired woman on the opposite side from where Petra was standing.

The Lieutenant guessed that this was Melinda, the psychic who decided to make life for the Spider Riders a living hell. She'd watched Igneous as stress got worse and worse for him. Petra decided that she was going to put an end to this once and for all. She walked closer to where the witch stood, her steps nearly silent.

She stopped when she was a few feet behind her target. Just as she stopped, she noticed Melinda grab her head in pain. Petra smiled grimly; this was her chance. Still doing her best to be silent, she drew her sword and charged, her sword's point aimed at the woman's heart.

It looked as if her attack was going to succeed until the psychic turned and froze Petra where she stood. "Well well well. What do we have here?" Melinda asked, amused. "A little assassin? Well, young one. You chose the wrong target." With the increased volume of her words, Melinda slowly levitated the girl. "Because I don't fall to the weak!" She drew her black sword and Petra's green eyes widened in fear. She'd been a fool to think that she could kill a psychic and now she was paying the consequences.

Igneous glanced at Melinda from his spot and his eyes widened. "Petra! NO!" he yelled. Flame began the run to where Melinda and Petra were. Petra glanced down at him, tears budding in her eye. She closed them, tears dripping down her cheeks, and whispered, "I'm sorry Igneous."

Melinda glanced at Igneous and smirked, preparing to attack. Then, her blade a black blur, stabbed Petra, running the girl through the stomach and out her back. The Lieutenant gave a weak cry and Melinda let her drop, refocusing on the battle.

Igneous jumped off Flame while the spider was still in motion and ran at top speed. He caught the girl as she fell. She looked up at him, her eyes half-mast. Her breath was coming in short, labored pants. He set her down gently, trying to ignore the red liquid staining his hands. "Why did you do that Petra?" She coughed, spots of blood speckling her lips.

"Because," she managed to answer hoarsely. "I wanted to find someway to help you." Igneous stared at her as her eyes began to flutter shut.

"No, you can't die. Not yet. You still have a long, happy life to live." She smiled at him as he grabbed her hand.

"No, the Oracle calls. It's my time to leave this world. You've got the long happy life to live, not me. You'll find someone else, Igneous, I promise." He looked like he wanted to say something but chose against it, instead pressing his lips onto hers.

"Don't leave me."

"Live your life Igneous. Be happy. At least before I left, I got to see your face one last time. Goodbye... Igneous..." Her voice trailed off and her head fell to the side, her body going completely limp.

"No," he whispered, his body shaking. He held her close for a while before laying her back down. Then he snapped his head up, his discarded lance immediately coming to his hand. "Melinda!" he screamed. She turned to him, a grin coming over her face. "You're going to pay for what you've done you bitch!" He charged, fire blazing in his eyes.

* * *

_DA: Wow... Intense last scene. You're all going to hate me for killing Petra off but it had to be done. And yes, I paired her with Igneous. It was only because it was so heavily implied in the books. But now she's dead so what does it matter... Don't worry, he'll be happy again soon._

_(1) Once again, looked it up. Took me all day too... It appears I don't know the series as well as I once did._

_(2) Wow... emotional much..._

_(3) Hunter was given the title commander as the leader of the Spider Riders. It's for show, he rarely controls the army._

_DA: Okay. Two chapters to go and the battle's over... I hope you all enjoyed it thus far. I'm not sure about it. Seeing as I'm not all that good at writing battle scenes, I make it my job to write them. I think I'm getting better. Well, as before, no promise on updates. Review! _

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	17. Chapter 17

_DA: Hello y'all. I've decided to put up yet another chapter as I haven't had school in like weeks… Totally AWESOME! That and I've been reading my reviews again for previous chapters and they really just pump me up. And now it's time for ANONYMUS REVIEW RESPONSES!_

_Yaoichan18: Thank you for the compliment on the fight. I'm never sure when it comes to writing action as it's my MAJOR weak point. Don't worry about Igneous, he'll be okay… I think… hehehehe_

_Burningstardustxlr8r: Wow! Four reviews in a relatively short amount of time. For that I thank you. And I have read the books. They were pretty good. The anime though, I judge as a separate series and is good in its own right. That seems to be everybody's reaction to the last chapter. Unfortunately, I cannot kill Melinda as of yet. I still have some use for the little… well, let's just say jerk. _

_DA: Well then part two of three of the Battle for Arachna! Enjoy!_

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_Chapter 17

Aqune dodged Hunter's lance, sweat dripping down her face. The longer she stayed on Shadow, the shorter this battle would be. She was already losing ground and there wasn't much left. Something had to be done before it became too late. She countered, swinging her sword wide. The wild maneuver did its

job as a façade, buying her some much needed space. Hunter took a step back, narrowly missing the blade.

Hunter swung his lance around, catching her blade before she could withdraw it. He angled the blade of his weapon, twisting it in her sword's hilt, and jerked upwards. The slender sword flew into the air, leaving the Handmaiden defenseless. Hunter took the opening instantly and slashed. Aqune's arms flew up in a futile attempt at defending herself. His lance sliced through the armor on her arms and created thin but deep cuts on her skin.

She cried out, pressing her arms to her stomach and doubling over in pain. Her amethyst eyes still carefully tracked the decent of her sword. Hunter twirled his lance around, intending to strike Aqune with the bottom blade. The Handmaiden, though, had an entirely different plan in mind. She forced herself to straighten and dodged nimbly to the side. Then, she sprang into the air and flipped over Hunter, grabbing her airborne sword.

Yelling a battle cry, she attacked, taking a step forward. He twirled around and blocked, Aqune's sword hitting the cracked area of the pole. The Oracle's cry once again sounded in her ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, the cry making her skull nearly split itself in half. She opened them for a moment as she applied more force to her blade. The lance cracked and the head blade snapped off. Snarling, Hunter reversed his grip and slashed. His blade missed but the pole whacked Aqune across the stomach. Her breath left her mouth in a hiss and she flew gracefully through the air before coming to a abrupt stop when she hit a frozen Rod. She fell to the ground, the machine crumpling on top of her.

"Aqune!" Corona cried, breaking free from the prince's grip and running over to the robot crushing her sister. The blond dropped her bow and slid her hands under the machine, trying to lift the heavy hunk of metal. Grunting with effort, she hauled the machine off her sister, sending it crashing to the ground. Aqune lay sprawled on the ground, a cut on her forehead leaking blood. Corona knelt by her sister as the purple haired girl pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Thanks Corona," she breathed, gingerly touching the bleeding gash on her head. She was lucky that the cut was her only injury.

"You've got to do something!" the blond exclaimed. "This fight isn't going well at all. No matter how much this fight sickens me, you have to win. It's the only way to save him." Aqune glanced at her, wiping some of the red liquid from her eyes.

"Well, what do you suggest?" Corona pursed her lips, deep in thought. Her eyes widened suddenly.

"The Oracle Keys!" Aqune's eyes widened as well, a hand drifting to the place the keys were.

"I guess I'd forgotten about those."

"You have to use them. It's the only way at this point." The Handmaiden clad in purple nodded, pressing herself unsteadily to her feet.

"Then I guess it's time to stop holding back." She pulled both keys from their hiding place. "Oracle's Light!" Her eyes stared defiantly at Melinda before a bright light engulfed her. She was going to win this, no matter what.

**SRSRSRSR**

Melinda put an expression of mock hurt on her face. "Igneous," she said. "Is there a need for such insults?" Igneous ground his teeth, his whole body clenched in anger.

"You just killed someone and you ask if insults are necessary?" he asked, his tone scarily calm. "You deserve more than just insults; you deserve to be beaten within an inch of your pathetic life and then squashed like the bug you are!" (1)

"Such harsh words." She drew her sword from the sheath that hung from her side. "If you want a fight, let's fight. This shouldn't take long." Igneous' hazel eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on his lance. All tactical thoughts were lost to him in his anger; he forgot pretty much everything he knew about this woman, especially her advantage over him. He only remembered that she must be destroyed.

Screaming in rage, he charged, the crystal in his weapon flashing red. Though his anger robbed him of his usual train of coherent thoughts he used before battle, he wasn't stupid. He still had a loose plan of action that he intended to follow. She blocked the emotion fueled strike rather easily, her face not revealing any signs of stress. The gentle red glow of his crystal grew harsher as he reared back for another blow. She parried that blow as well, her countenance amused. Melinda appeared to not have noticed the now blinding light of his weapon and Igneous, whose thoughts still weren't coming easily, took that as a sign to continue.

He jumped back, pointing the tip of his lance at the ground at the psychic's feet. "Firebolt!" he yelled, calling upon the special move granted to him by the Oracle herself. (2) A thin but long string of flames now protruded from the tip of his weapon. The blue haired rider expertly whipped the flames around, closing his enemy in an inescapable prison. Or so he thought.

As quickly as the fire sprang up around the villain, it died down, Melinda still standing unscathed at its center. She stepped over the smoldering grass and disappeared for a moment. When she reappeared, the young commander had a millisecond to get his lance up to block. _This speed_, he thought, realizing what just happened. _It's impossible. _

"Oh Igneous," the woman started, mocking him with every word. "Did you really think that I'd fall for such a predictable plan? I saw through your maneuvers easily. I knew exactly what you were going to do and when you were going to do it. You're a fool, Ignous. A fool." Igneous moved to attack, to redeem himself for being so predictable, but soon found he couldn't move at all. That damned psychic had frozen him in place.

"You coward!" he yelled, discovering his mouth still worked. "You hide behind your powers because you have no fighting ability of your own." She smiled at him, the cold expression of emotion unnerving her captive.

"Once again, you prove your foolishness. I fight well, if you haven't noticed. I just prefer to use my _abilities _as a catalyst. Like right now, for instance. You're a sitting duck and I'm just doing what would have happened anyway had we continued fighting." She slashed him across the stomach, making a shallow gash. Igneous dared not display his pain in front of the witch. That would only add to her pleasure. Blood began to blossom from the gash, flowering the front of his shirt. Melinda's powers held him in place and he wondered briefly if this was the end. Her words soon proved his thoughts untrue. "You're lucky," she nearly snarled, walking around. "If it were up to me, I'd kill you now." As if to emphasize her words, she opened a gash on his back. He could not stop a gasp from escaping his lips. "Fortunately for you, my master wants to kill every Spider Rider himself. Be thankful because the next time we meet, I'll be bringing you to your death." With those parting words, Igneous was flung through the air. He crashed hard into a Rod, the back of his head colliding with its metal exterior. He slid to the ground, unconscious. Thankfully, the machine did not fall on top of him as it did to Aqune.

This was perhaps the first battle the proud commander had lost.

**SRSRSRSR**

Aqune jumped back onto Portia once the transformation finished. Her shoulder armor had toughened and two small, almost invisible spinnerets were fitted into them. Her blade grew longer and thicker but still felt right in her hands. The shield attached to her manacle was roughly the length of her forearm now, stretching out in other ways as well. Her violet spider had also undergone a transformation. She now had the shape of a space ship, as Hunter would have described it, that Shadow also gained through the use of two Oracle Keys.

Hunter's face remained unchanged, thanks to Melinda's spell. If it had been truly him fighting, the young leader might have seemed calm but would be having a nervous breakdown inside. He was clearly at a disadvantage. His lance was broken and his opponent had just activated two of the most powerful items in the Inner World.

Melinda, finished with Igneous, glanced over at the fight. Her dark eyes narrowed at the sight before her. She too saw the disadvantage, but only she knew the solution. It was time to act. "Hunter!" she yelled. "It's time!"

He gave no sign that he heard her, instead reaching for the secret weapons. Four items were pulled out of a hidden compartment in his armor. Aqune stared, unable to place the objects. Only when he held them up as he would the Oracle Keys did she realize that she was in deep trouble. Her amethyst eyes went as wide as they could possibly go when the redhead cried, "Night's Darkness!" (3) He sounded almost as if he were swearing an oath. A deep darkness enveloped the boy and he let out an unearthly howl.

Aqune cried out as well, the Oracle's scream bringing her to her knees. All the other signals of the Oracle's pain before this were simply winces. She couldn't tell what was going on in the cloud of darkness but whatever it was, it was hurting both Hunter and the Oracle. Corona was driven to her knees by the same cry, yelling her own protest to the agony they brought. Tears leaked out of the girl's eyes.

Despite her pain, from both her physical wounds and the mental cries, the violet haired Handmaiden pressed herself to her feet. The darkness was just beginning to lift and the appearance of the figure inside made her gasp.

Hunter's armor had undergone a transformation. The normally blue and white cloth turned black where blue had once shown while the white, though now somewhat dulled, stayed the same. His black shield took on the shape of a hopelessly broken spider. The lance's top blade, now fixed, had lengthened to the point where it was more a sword than his original weapon. The tail end had shrunk. The colors of the weapon had also been dyed black. The jewel at its center shone a wicked red, like blood. Shadow had been turned black as well and his newly red eyes gleamed in the sunlight. (4)

The transformation struck Aqune as rather odd. In a normal Oracle Key transformation, Hunter and Shadow gained power together. Now, it only appeared as if Hunter gained more power, a tremendous amount at that, while the boy's mount remained the same.

Aqune swore and she and Portia began glowing with the Oracle's power in preparation for an attack. Judging by the looks of his armor, Hunter's power level had to be off the charts. That meant she had this one attack to make a difference. If her attack failed, then this fight would be over. She accessed the special power that the Oracle Keys possessed and allowed it to wash over her body in soothing waves. Then, despite the warnings her fears emitted, she jumped into the air, bringing her sword back. The gentle purple glow that surrounded her grew harsh and threatening as the Handmaiden began her decent. "Violet Strike!" she cried, pointing the tip of her blade at Hunter.

The redhead lifted his blade and blocked the strike effortlessly, much to everybody's surprise. Aqune examined him closely as she finished her move, knowing that she was doomed. Despite the armor, Hunter looked the same as he normally did. The one different thing she marked as strange: a mark on the side of his neck and the darkness that leaked from it, threatening to overpower the boy. In fact, the darkness thickened around him. The purple outfitted Spider Rider gathered what remained of her power, a counter attack her only defense.

She jumped into the air and called her attack just as Hunter announced his own.

"Violet Strike!"

"Dark Aura!" (5)

Purple and black clashed in midair, creating a brilliant explosion. Only Aqune was sent flying though; Portia following soon thereafter. Hunter stood, suspended in the air for a moment, before falling back to Shadow.

Aqune hit the ground with a dull thud, her spider landing next to her. Her head swam and her thoughts came confused and muddled. Her semi-conscious, pain wracked mind tried to recall what just happened but only saw the bright light of the explosion as it lingered in her eyes.

Darkness began to close in around her and she fought against it. She failed and she just couldn't accept that. Though her mind attempted to retreat into the dark abyss, it recognized what this failure meant. It meant that she'd lost this whole entire battle for the army. She had been their only chance and she'd failed.

Her body trembled on the ground, aching with exhaustion. She was at her limit and she finally realized that she could do nothing else. Aqune let herself go, choosing to float in the peaceful, numbing darkness. Right before she passed out, one voice pierced through her failing consciousness.

"Aqune!"

* * *

_DA: And that's that. Part two is finished._

_(1) hehehe. I loved writing that rant_

_(2) Raise your hand if you guessed this was gonna happen._

_(3) Temporary. If someone wants to give me another idea on the phrase to activate the new type of keys, I'll appreciate it._

_(4) Shadow's book form! _

_(5) Okay, I admit it. I stole this from Kingdom Hearts, which I also don't own. DAMN YOU RIKU FOR BEING SO DAMN POWERFUL! Okay, enough ranting. _

_DA: Okay then. Please, tell me what you think. And I'll give you three guesses on who called Aqune's name at the end there… I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. XD I've had so many snow days in the past like two weeks that I feel like I'm still on winter break. If any of you need something to read and don't mind manga, I recommend Black Cat. It is really good and TRAIN HEARTNET IS MINE! Or half mine, as my friend has dibs on him first… Next chapter will be up who knows when. Review as it does inspire me._

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	18. Chapter 18

_DA: Well hello everyone. Sorry for the wait. But here I am again. With the last part to the battle. I had two separate beginnings for this chapter. I liked them both so I decided to mix them together. Sorry if it's a bit choppy. The two parts were never really meant to be meshed, but I did my best. Aaaaannnnddd I forgot to put a disclaimer in last chapter. Sooo here's the disclaimer. Hope it's enough for two chapters._

_Disclaimer: Seriously... Do you truly believe that I own any of this? I'm a freaking sixteen year old girl... Without a prom date... but that's another story in entirety. Back to the point. Sixteen year old girls don't own anything. Though they desperately hope they do. _

_DA: Onto the chapter. Hope you enjoy._

_

* * *

_

Chapter 18

Hunter walked up to his fallen opponent, poising his weapon at her exposed throat. No sign of hesitation showed in his movements as he reared back to strike. "Aqune!" a voice yelled, echoing around the motionless machines. The redhead swung his lance, ignoring the concern riddled plea.

His attack suddenly halted, a strange sword blocking his path. Two prongs jutted out from the head of the blade, effectively catching Hunter's sword in a crevice. A humanoid insect jumped into view, his green eyes radiating anger. Hunter jumped back, hitting a battle position as he slid to a stop. "I cannot allow you to do this, Hunter Steele," Buguese snarled, eyes flicking over towards Aqune momentarily. "And I swear, I will do everything in my power to stop you." A roar exploded in the distance and the Invectid leader glanced over to a woman with black hair. Her dark eyes, smothered in hatred, glared at the Invectid army. Her lips twitched with annoyance.

"Attack!" she screamed, pointing her sword into the air. The Rods sprang back to life and Buguese soon found that he had more than one opponent to deal with. Hunter followed her orders as well, his blade aiming for Buguese's neck. The Invectid blocked easily, sidestepping closer to Aqune. Though he claimed to only have come here for the safety of Arachna, hidden intentions burned within his heart, focused on the violet haired beauty unconscious behind him. He moved to strike the former Spider Rider leader (1). The redhead caught his weapon with his shield. One spike of the insect's blade embedded itself in the material.

As Buguese yanked it out, Hunter struck him across the torso with the flat of his blade, sending him flying much like the other riders. The Invectid came skidding to a halt several feet away and right into a Rod. He quickly dismembered the mechanical monstrosity and ran towards the teen who used to be his arch foe. Oh, how fate had twisted once again, turning who he thought as an ally to an enemy. His faintly green hand tightened around his sword's hilt, a sharp frown marring his features. The metal beasts slowed his progress, keeping him from both his opponent and the woman he sought to protect with his life.

He was moments away from Hunter when a swarm of Rods flooded the path, halting him completely. His frown deepened to a scowl, whipping his blade back for an attack. A whip flashed at the corner of his vision, slicing right through the main wire of several enemies. They fell and the lovely Beerain, her wings fluttering, landed on top of a fallen machine's body. She appeared genuinely pleased with herself. Grasshop and Stags followed her, brandishing weapons of their own. "Go Buguese!" Beerain yelled, snapping her whip. "We'll keep these _things_ off your back."

"You won't have to do it alone!" a feminine voice added as an arrow shot straight through a Rod. The remaining Spider Riders rode up. They all knew that if they had a shot at winning this, they would have to trust the much more energized Invectids. "We'll lend a hand too," Corona said, smiling. Buguese nodded sharply and started off at a run, aiming for the redhead and the Handmaiden.

Yelling a battle cry, he struck, catching Hunter unawares. The boy was sent flying, something the insect leader hadn't been able to achieve in a long time. He crashed into a Rod, sliding down before picking himself off. His weapon never once left his hand. His emerald eyes snapped to the white-haired bug, aura darkening considerably. The psychic then spoke. "Hunter! Forget the girl and the bug! Attack the city!"

(2)Hunter wove through the army of Rods, aiming for Arachna's tall walls. Prince Lumen, breaking himself away from his battle, rode next to him, attempting to get in front and put a stop to this. Two Spider Riders had gone down in this battle and several army members had died, including the proud lieutenant. Enough was enough. Magma rode on the other side of Hunter, also willing to do anything to end this. His club was clutched desperately in his hand, knuckles white. His dark brown eyes never left the redhead's face.

"If you two continue to follow me, I'll have no choice but to kill you," Hunter's monotone voice warned. The prince, absolutely startled, stopped, Ebony sensing his rider's emotions. Magma did the same, the giant man's eyes wide. The threat was sincere and neither had death wish.

Hunter approached the walls casually, though his darkened aura flickered dangerously. He reached out with a gloved hand and touched the slab of pink rock. The darkness surrounding him flexed outward. Prince Lumen could only watch as the redheaded Spider Rider began his assault on the walls of the city he swore to protect.

"Dark..." the boy said, beginning his attack. His deadly aura began to reach out.

SRSRSRSRSR

The Invectid Lord leaned down, carefully lifting the injured Aqune into his arms. Her face, slick with blood and sweat, seemed troubled as if able to sense the turmoil around her. But the moment Buguese's arms wrapped around her, she relaxed, falling neatly into the bug's loving embrace. He gently ran a hand across her forehead, brushing soaked strands of hair, before standing, clutching her tightly to his chest. He would never let her go; not until she was safe.

He snapped his head up, hearing the start of Hunter's attack. His eyes widened as the boy reached out, a darkness tinting his body. The darkness thickened and, with blinding speed, struck outward, completely obliterating the marble creation in front of him.

"NO!" Prince Lumen cried, watching as their last defense shattered. His sense of self preservation died, his mind telling him to protect his city. "Ebony, go! This must be stopped." The prince started towards the castle.

Buguese looked around, desperate for a weapon that could accurately reach across such a distance. He'd dedicated himself to protecting humans, there was no way for him to back down. His eyes fell upon the knife that shined in Grasshop's hands, completely void of bloodstains and other flaws. The Invectid, without much thought, grabbed it from his comrade's hands.

"Buguese!" Grasshop cried, shocked. "What're you doing?" Not paying any attention to his mouthy commander, the humanoid Invectid threw the knife, aiming for the cause of all this panic. Just as the destructive darkness reared back to attack the defenseless town, the weapon struck, sinking deep into the boy's side. The aura shrunk back as he collapsed, a flower of red sprouting on his side. With a shaky hand, he removed the blade from its new sheath and dropped it next to him. Shadow pulled Hunter onto his back and rode off towards Melinda.

Melinda saw the battle suddenly turn for the worse. Her army was being driven back and Hunter was out cold. She sighed, imagining what her master would do to her, and brought two fingers to her lips. A sharp whistle pierced the air and the robots began retreating. Human and Invectid alike stood still, watching their opponents fall back. Exhausted grins lit each face, ecstatic that they won, even after being so close to losing.

Lumen rode up to Arachna's savior's, grinning as well. As he approached, he caught the tail end of a conversation. "But why couldn't you have thrown that sword of yours?" Grasshop whined, staring at his weaponless hand with devastated eyes.

"Because a knife is much easier and accurate to throw," Buguese answered calmly. "Don't worry. I'll get you a new one when we get back."

"But what am I supposed to use as a weapon until then. The army might come back." Beerain rolled her eyes, frowning at the annoying insect.

"By the Oracle!" Beerain snapped, so upset as to evoke the Oracle. "You're on a battlefield. Just grab a weapon!" Lumen cleared his throat to receive Buguese's full attention.

"Buguese," he started gratefully, once the leader's gaze rested upon him. "It seems that the Spider Riders now owe you." The Invectid Lord smiled slightly at the prince.

"Even so, I apologize for getting here late..." He trailed off, glancing down at the woman in his arms. "You see, we..." As Buguese started to explain, Lumen cut him off.

"There's no need. You got here just in time." His lilac eyes scanned the battlefield, analyzing the heavy limps of certain soldiers as their friends helped them to the city. The grass was soaked in blood and oil, making it slick. Crumpled bodies of all armies littered the area. "Just in time."

SRSRSRSRSR

Magma was patrolling Arachna's walls, checking for damage that might have occurred during the fight. Corona, charged with healing the injured, walked the halls, waiting for someone to ask for her assistance. The princess was trying as hard as she could to help her brother any way possible. The physicians barred her from the infirmary after she tied up a patient so she tried taking up other odd jobs. Arachna Castle was overflowing with wounded and funerals were every hour on the hour. Petra's was scheduled last they could get Igneous healed enough to attend.

Magma paused for a moment, sighing. So much destruction had happened in such little time. More than fifty people died in the battle and at least three times that number found themselves injured. He'd been exceedingly lucky to only have gotten away with a few scratches. Aqune had received the most injuries and most doctors expected her to remain unconscious for more than a week. The brunette let out a breath and stared up at the sky, his face twisted into a thoughtful expression. Buguese visited the Handmaiden most often, when he wasn't trying to assist with clean up.

He glanced at the crumbled wall. To think that Hunter had caused most of the problems at hand. Him and those strange Oracle Keys. If it hadn't been for the Invectid Lord's quick thinking, who knew where they'd be right now.

Something bright caught Magma's eye and he gazed downwards, dark eyes widening sharply at the sight. Right next to a knife caked with dried blood lay two Oracle Keys, sparkling even though a layer of grime coated their surface. He gently pried them from the mud and placed them into his palm, studying them closely. A grin slowly stretched across his face as he realized what he'd found. These keys could possibly tip the balance of power in Arachna's favor, not only allowing quicker victories but also a better chance at getting Hunter back. "Thank the Oracle," he whispered, glancing up at the sun.

He took ff at a run to Arachna's gate, paying no mind to the knife that still remained in the dirt. The Oracle Keys were much more important.

SRSRSRSRSR

Prince Lumen sat at his desk, a mountain of paperwork towering over him. He sighed, wanting a nap now more than ever; this is what happened when battle was brought to Arachna: paperwork and more paperwork. He chanced closing his eyes as someone knocked loudly on his door. His eyes snapped open, flicking over to the door as Buguese walked in without waiting for a response. "How goes repairs?" the Invectid asked. Lumen nodded, rolling his stiff shoulders.

"Well enough," he responded. "Things will be returning to normal soon enough." The white haired bug crossed his arms, frowning.

"I wish you'd let us help in the repairs..." The prince waved him off, tilting his head to the side in annoyance. They shared this exact conversation every day.

"Nonsense. You're our guests and the saviors of Arachna. It would make us bad hosts and ungrateful to make you help." Buguese opened his mouth to let out another counter argument as a guard entered the room. The guard bowed before speaking.

"Sire, Commander Igneous has awoken. He is in his room now with Lady Corona," he said, glancing nervously at the bug in the room. He bowed again and left, his message sent. Prince Lumen sighed, brushing dust off his clothes. He secretly cheered, the paperwork still lingering in the back of his thoughts. Anyway he could avoid doing them was a welcome distraction.

"Buguese, you should come with me. We have much to discuss with Igneous." The Invectid shook his head.

"Sorry, but I have someone else I need to visit. But thank you for your offer." The blond nodded and walked out, silently smiling at the affection that the great insect lord tried so hard to hide. Buguese followed him out but turned down a different hallway.

Igneous was in a bad mood, Lumen could tell that by walking in. After being close friends with the blue-haired man since birth, he'd learned to read his emotions by just glancing at him. The commander was scowling, his arms crossed defiantly across his chest. Corona sat next to him, an orange glow fading from her outstretched hands. The blond looked worse than Igneous, hours of healing taking a toll on her body. Her face, normally bright and colorful, was a sickly white, her eyes dulled with exhaustion. Her hands shook as she lowered them.

Igneous' scowl deepened as his good friend walked into the room. Lumen sighed inwardly, the commander was already showing signs of being difficult. "Igneous, I'm glad..." Igneous cut him off.

"I already know we won. Let's skip the pleasantries. What happened that brought you here? Who else died?" Lumen's lilac eyes met Igneous' hazel orbs, a silent exchange of words between friends.

"We've had sixty-seven army deaths. You and Aqune were the only riders injured," Lumen started, a sense of hopelessness falling over him as he recited the statistics. "Hunter, though, still managed to break Arachna's wall. Buguese stopped him from entering the city. Repairs are going steadily."

"And Petra?" Lumen's eyes softened. Petra'd been Igneous' favorite in the army; the commander had to be feeling unbearable pain for her loss. The prince dropped his gaze.

"She's being hailed as a hero. Her funeral's scheduled last so you might make it."

"I...I failed her..." The tone of Igneous' voice had changed so drastically that he had to look up, concern etched in his eyes. "By losing to that witch, I've failed her."

"Igneous..." Corona started quietly, her voice a hoarse whisper. "She didn't want you to die trying to avenge her death. She wanted you to live. She wasn't a fool, Igneous. She knew exactly what she was doing. She's hero Igneous! So instead of driving yourself crazy with thoughts of revenge, why don't you remember her like you're supposed to...?"

Before anyone could respond, Magma burst into the room, his eyes alight with excitement. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting, but there's something you have to see!" he exclaimed. He opened his clenched hand, revealing the two Oracle Keys supposedly in Hunter's possession. Everyone's eyes widened, displaying their shock.

"Where did you find these?" Igneous asked, completely bewildered. Magma smiled.

"The part of the wall that Hunter knocked down. They were just laying on the ground." Igneous' lips lifted slightly in a smile.

"Hunter must still be in there somewhere." he whispered. "He's fighting and he showed it by leaving the keys." The injured man pushed himself out of bed, his smile widening. "And if he hasn't given up, I shouldn't sit around moping. I can't give up either!" Lumen raised an eyebrow at him.

"There are times where I don't get you Igneous," the prince said, sighing. "Oh, Oracle. I'm gonna need a nap when this is all over." He turned to Magma, holding out a hand. "Give me the keys. I'll make sure they're kept safe." Once the keys were placed in his outstretched palm, he glanced at the rest of the group crowded in the small room. "I have things to attend to. Corona, you're dismissed for the rest of the day. That's an order." He walked out of the room, another sigh escaping from his slightly parted lips.

SRSRSRSRSR

Melinda walked back into the dank audience chamber, trembling with fear and exhaustion. She had spent the day healing Hunter and wondering what her master would do to her. His temper spared no one when it flared, not even his faithful servant. "How is he?" the Dark Oracle questioned, tone surprisingly unreadable. She silently let out a breath, relieved that his anger was missing.

"He'll live," she responded, bowing deeply. The shadows draping the throne constantly moved and twitched in response to their master's thoughts. They currently danced around lightly, creating spirals and other mysterious designs.

"Then our plan will remain. Nothing has been lost yet. The Invectid's sudden visit was a surprise and we cannot underestimate the element of surprise. As the human's say, 'They may have won the battle, but they have not won the war.' No, that victory shall remain with us."

"There is another thing, sir," she murmured, almost not wanting to be heard. She flinched as his expectant pause, teeth closing on her bottom lip. "It seems we've lost the two keys that Hunter possessed. Your keys are all that remain." There was a sudden surge of anger, his shadows billowing outward, hissing. They created weapons, the points looking incredibly sharp and dangerous. The dark-haired psychic swallowed, freezing her feet in place as one of the creations touched her throat.

But it retreated, a strange calmness changing the shadows again. "A loss, I'll admit. But we can work with what we have. Is Hunter adapting well to my power?" Sweat trickled down the young woman's forehead, though this time, her words expressed good news.

"Yes sir. The Oracle's power is nearly absent from his body." A grim smile formed upon his lips, just barely visible through the veil of darkness.

"Very good."

SRSRSRSRSR

Hunter lay on a bed near the audience chamber, his body racked with pain. Melinda had lifted her spell, channeling her energy into healing him instead. "Hunter," Shadow said from within the boy's manacle. The redhead winced at the noise, his head pounding. That spell did terrible things to his mind so to suddenly be released from it wasn't an exactly comfortable experience. "Are you going to be alright?" He shifted and flinched, his injured side pulling.

"I... I think so," he whispered, his hand moving to touch the thick bandage over the knife wound. "Remind me to thank Buguese when this is all over." His lips twisted into a wry grin at the irony of his own words.

"Can do." Shadow couldn't believe that Hunter still unconsciously believed that there was a way out of this. What was he not seeing that his rider could? He watched as Hunter allowed his eyes to shut, slumber overtaking his weakened body and mind easily. "I just hope we can get out of this." His words went unanswered as they bounced across the sleeping boy.

* * *

_DA: Well, that's done. Looks pretty hopeless right now huh? Don't worry. The Oracle's about to invite a trump card. Hahaha. That's right. I'm bringing Blaze back! I had another part to this that described Petra's funeral but I decided not to put it in because I deemed it unnecessary. However, if any of you want to read it, I'll post it as the next chapter. _

_(1) I called him the 'former leader' as he's currently not the leader of the Spider Riders. The position won't be restored until they find a way to get him back._

_(2) This is the part where I started meshing the two versions. You might have noticed a little roughness..._

_DA: Now that the Battle for Arachna's finished, I want to hear your thoughts. Rate the battle on a scale of 1 to 10. It tells me how I'm doing. If you could explain your rating that'd be lovely. Are any of my viewer's artists? I might be asking for your assistance soon. Thanks for reading. I have no clue when the next chapter will be up. When I have time perhaps..._

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	19. Chapter 19

_DA: Well hello everybody. I'm bored and don't feel like doing homework right now so guess what? You guys get another chapter! You may like or dislike this chapter as it focuses on Blaze. _

_Blaze: YAY! I'm finally in the story! **starts dancing around**_

_Hunter: **starts sulking** Yea, but she took me out. And it doesn't look like I'm coming back in anytime soon..._

_DA: **frowns sharply** Blaze, stop rubbing it in your brother's face. Hunter, get over it. I'm working as fast as I can. You try being an honors high school student while trying to appease your sorry ass. Or do you want to go back into the closet? **looks expectantly at the closet door**_

_Hunter: **cowers** N...no thank you. You forgot to let me out of thing. I was in there for WEEKS!_

_DA: Go cry to someone else. Now do the disclaimer or you will find that your room has been moved into the closet. _

_Hunter: **glares** Fine. DarkAngel555 does not own Spider Riders, just the plot and her annoying OC's. _

_DA: Good boy. Enjoy the chapter my readers!_

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Chapter 19

At only age fifteen, Blaze Steele had lost pretty much everybody she'd ever cherished in her life. She was the child tragedy, or that's what people at school called her. Her parents died when she was six, and her grandfather passed six years later. It wasn't so bad when her brother was still around. He helped keep her strong when she needed it. He picked her up when she fell. But she didn't see the signs of his cracking emotion status until he left about a year ago, and then she saw everything with a wickedly bright and clear light, illuminating every last thing he did and the reasons why. She had a suspicion of where he'd gone and had decided to follow.

Blaze sat on a rock in front of the temple where her brother vanished, her grandfather's old journal laying open in her lap. A backpack sat on the ground next to her feet, filled to the brim with essentials. She didn't know where or what she was heading into, so she'd come prepared. A cold breeze crossed her body, sending goosebumps down her bare arms. She pulled her gray zip-up on and zipped it up halfway over her black beater. _Maybe it wasn't so smart to wear shorts_... she thought, glad she wore her knee length, bright blue converse. She closed the notebook and stood, shouldering the backpack. It was time to move. She'd learned all she could from the notebook to prepare her for what's about to come.

The temple was a familiar area. She'd been here several times, searching for Hunter. Blaze thought she'd checked every last inch of this place, but her grandfather's journal spoke of a secret passage and it was that passage that she needed to find. She had to find him. She had to make sure he was safe.

The redhead sighed, looking up at the sunset. "Let's get this over with," she whispered to herself. She climbed into a square opening that lead to darkness. While her brother would have jumped in headfirst, throwing caution to the wind, she crept carefully into the opening, trying not to fall.

Keeping a hand on the wall, she tread further into the darkness. Her bag felt heavy on her shoulder as if warning her not to go further. The inky black swirled around her, pressing in on all sides. She felt as if she was suffocating. The redhead paused for a moment, searching for something, anything in the darkness. She felt the warnings but still she continued onward, worry for her brother strengthening her resolve. She couldn't see more than a foot in front of her and she briefly wondered when the end would find her. It was at that point when the hand that she had placed on the wall groped the air and she remembered the flashlight she had so thoughtfully stored in the bag on her back. But it was too late. She toppled off the ramp, thrown off balance.

Blaze hit the hard floor, rolling to keep her head safe. She cursed her stupidity as she removed the pack from her shoulder. She had made it a point to pack her trusty flash light that she had used as a booklight for many a year; how could she forget? She dug through the backpack, grumbling under her breath. With the flashlight in her hand, a realization settled in her thoughts. The room was already lit, however eerily it seemed. The teen got up and looked around, her eyes lingering on the glowing spiders that were carved into the walls, seeming to give hints. Blaze's hand absentmindedly traced one carving, her sea green eyes flicked around the area. No other openings were in sight, just the one that had so kindly deposited her here. Piles of rubble muddled the area, though she could detect no holes in the ceiling. She sighed, picking up the journal that had fallen during her fall. Digger's journal had depicted something about a pass code that would open a door and enable the searcher to discover what they craved, the Inner World.

Blaze's mind moved a supersonic speed, trying to recall all the conversations she had shared with her grandfather. He had to have dropped some clues to his grandchildren. It was funny, in some sort of twisted way, that out of all the talks with her grandpa, she only remembered two words leaving his lips: Arachna Power. Well, he repeated them often, almost every time he conversed with the children he had taken in.

She cleared her throat and cautioned saying the phrase, her voice echoing around the small room. As the sound of her voice faded into the background, all was silent. At first. Then, a slab of rock, located just below a painting of an eye that seemed to stare into the recesses of her soul, slid aside, revealing yet another dark passage. A moan escaped her throat. How she hated dark passages; she could never tell what lurked just beyond the darkness. The teen flicked on her once forgotten flashlight and delved into the dark chamber, her eyes glancing around nervously.

The next room was darker, the only light shining from a statue nearby. A shelf lay in pieces against a wall, its contents, consisting of strange items and clothing, littered the floor around it. The floor itself was cracked around the center of the room and Blaze decided it'd be best to avoid said cracks. The redhead, walking along the finer, less threatening cracks, moved towards the glowing statue. It was just like a video game; anything that glowed was guaranteed to have some importance.

The sounds of her footsteps bounced off the walls in the virtually empty room, stopping only when she halted. Her eyes stared at the woman carved out of stone, taking in the simple beauty of the figure. The woman's eyes glowed sharply, as did the ball seemingly hovering over her head. _Blaze_, a distant voice called and she turned, her face going pale. She had sworn the room was empty, that she was the only living creature here. As she had guessed, nothing was there, just an empty room. While her back was turned, the statue flashed brightly and a pastel yellow device clattered to the floor.

She jumped at the sudden noise and cautiously glanced back, checking for danger. A cold sweat started forming on her forehead and she was having trouble remembering why she had decided to go after Hunter in the first place. _Blaze_, the same voice whispered, the sound caressing her ears, and she whirled around, her eyes glued to the stone statue. The redhead had sworn that it had come from the statue this time. Something sat at her feet, emitting a slight light. _Put it on_. Blaze prodded the object with her shoe, sighing.

"Weird voices telling me to put on jewelry in a creepy, old temple," she muttered, a frown marring her face. "I must be nuts." She picked up the strange bracelet and attached it to her left wrist, the device clicking shut with a final sounding click. At first, nothing happened, as with the first room. This only made her more concerned for her own safety. A figure of a spider slid over the jewel of the bracelet, its light washing over her face. The light grew harsher, shooting right into the statue.

The room began trembling, and Blaze's heart responded, pounding harshly in her chest. Large chunks of ceiling fell as the temple started collapsing and she could do nothing to stop it. A roaring filled her ears as her eyes fell upon the widening cracks in the floor. "Why, oh why, did I listen to the creepy voice?" she berated herself, running towards the doorway. The brighter room was only inches away when she misplaced her foot and the ground fell away beneath her, sending the frightened girl into a rainbow lit hole.

The light engulfed her as she fell deeper, the temple seeming like a faint memory. "Help!" she screamed, even though she knew it to be futile. Air rushed around her, whipping her hair, now shoulder length, back from her face. A white light appeared in the distance, nearly resembling a tunnel. The circular light morphed as she closed the distance between them, not of her own accord of course, and soon a real life replica of the stone statue before her, the woman's arms outstretched.

The woman's green hair billowed upward, obscuring a sun-like sphere. Her white gown clung to her motherly figure and flowed outwards like water upon reaching her hips. Though her eyes were shut, preventing an accurate reading of her emotions, her face seemed pleased, a gentle smile lifting her face. In her presence, Blaze's fear slowly melted away. She stretched her arms outward, trying to touch the strange woman's hand. She had to, though she wasn't sure why. As the tip of her fingers brushed against the woman's skin, a strange energy filled her and the world fell to darkness around her. The sensation wasn't uncomfortable but it wasn't exactly comfortable either.

_You need not be afraid, Blaze Steele,_ the woman's voice echoed loudly in her ears, making the redhead wince. The voice resembled the voice that called to her in the temple. She felt her body fall into the woman's arms. _Here you are safe. Here you are home._ Blaze knew no more.

SRSRSRSRSR

Igneous walked through the forest, clad only in his pedestrian outfit. His sword, though, hung at his side, a ready hand always hovering nearby. Tension was high in Arachna right now and he needed to get out of there. Thankfully, a concerned citizen walked into the castle, he brought with him just what the commander needed, an excuse to get out of there. The citizen had begged for help from the Spider Riders, claiming several Rods were terrorizing the forest near his hometown. The forest seemed calm enough, but the numerous reports said otherwise. His hazel eyes flicked around, checking through trees. He must remain vigilant.

The sun shone through the cracks in the leaves, spotting the ground with green. The blue-haired man paused for a moment, frowning. "What is it, Igneous?" Flame asked from within the manacle. He shook his head.

"Something doesn't feel right," Igneous whispered, his hand unconsciously drifting over the scar on his stomach. IT had healed, quite beautifully actually, but it still twinged occasionally during times of unease. "It's probably nothing." He continued walking, his hand now grasping his sword's hilt. A few minutes later, he approached a clearing that seemed to be a recent addition to the forest. Something had torn through the overhang of leaves. In the middle of the clearing, a girl, about his age, perhaps a year or two younger, lay sprawled among the brush.

Without much thought, he sprinted to her, knowing the danger of just leaving her. A Rod, maybe a whole group of them, were walking the forest, and that, of course, meant danger to all. He knelt down, shaking her gently. "Hey, are you alright?" His eyes drifted down her body, drinking in her appearance while checking for injuries. Her face was scratched and slightly pale. Red hair billowed around her head like a halo. Her clothing was strange, other worldly. The commander swore, putting two and two together. "Earthen," he hissed. And for her to be an Earthen meant that she was also a... His gaze wandered to her wrist where a dull yellow manacle clung. Spider Rider. He shook her again, this time with more force. "Wake up. It's not safe here."

She moaned softly, a finger twitching. Her slender eyebrows scrunched together before her eyes fluttered open, revealing clear sea-green irises. Her eyes widened in shock as she gazed up at him and a fist slammed into the side of Igneous' face. He fell backwards, clutching his cheek that was already beginning to bruise. He couldn't even begin to fathom why she did that. "Get the hell away from me, you creep!" she snarled, leaping to her feet. "Just what did you think you were doing anyway?" He sat up with a groan, staring at the strange girl incredulously. She was definitely an Earthen.

"Saving your life. You were just lying unconscious in what'll soon be a battleground thanks to you!" He pressed himself to his feet, scowling at her. She glared back, her arms crossing over her chest. He could detect the slightest amount of confusion in her eyes as she stared at him. She didn't have a clue what was happening.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that there are things in the forest that shouldn't be messed with and you just alerted all of them to our presence with your mouth!" Her eyes flicked around as if just noticing where she was. She gasped, her mouth falling open.

"You," She floundered for a name, something to call him until she learned his real name. "Tower Head **(1)**. Where am I?" He rolled his eyes at her sudden change in mood.

"Solander Forest in Arachna Kingdom." He snickered at her confused countenance, eyes narrowing in amusement. "In the Inner World." A strange smile lit her face, reminding the Spider Rider of someone.

"I made it. I can't believe it, I actually made it." She punched the air, her smile widening. Talk about a change in mood. She was making Igneous dizzy. "Yo, Tower Head. I have a question." He raised an eyebrow at her, hoping that she wouldn't get accustomed to this nickname. "Have you seen my brother around? He looks exactly like me except for his being a male, obviously." Igneous froze, realizing who she reminded him of. He wasn't positive but it seemed pretty likely. A hand waved in front of his face, jolting him from his throughts. "Um, hello? Tower Head, you in there?" His right eye twitched, sliding over to the strange girl's face.

"My name," he started quietly, a vein pulsing on his forehead. "Is NOT Tower Head." She smirked at him, eyes glinting with amusement.

"Well then, what is your name?"

"I'm Igneous of Arachna, Commander of the Royal Army." He glanced at her expectantly. When she remained silent, he sighed, exasperated. "And your name miss?" She grinned at him, bearing her pearly white teeth.

"I'm Blaze, Blaze Steele." Blaze kept on talking but Igneous had tuned her out, his face pale with shock. He'd only guessed at her origins before, this just proved it. Hunter was her brother. His thoughts fluttered around frantically. "Igneous?" Blaze's voice filtered in through the chaos of his mind. "Iggy... Iggy?" Of course she picked that nickname. Like brother, like sister. "Do you space out a lot? Or is this just a temporary thing?"

Blaze stared at Igneous, feeling kind of weirded out. He frowned at her, irritated. "If by 'spacing out' you mean daydreaming, then no I usually don't 'space out'. Today, I just have a lot on my mind." She nodded, putting a finger to her chin. Her eyes fell for a moment on the purple splotch on his cheek and she felt a surge of guilt. It had been a rash act, but school always taught her to act first, think later. She shook the thoughts from her head, focusing on her goal.

"So have you seen him?" The blue-haired man glanced into the trees, trying to appear as if he was checking for enemies.

"Who?" She rolled her eyes at his forgetfulness.

"My brother, you dolt!" He didn't answer, instead continuing his search of the trees. The redhead's eyes narrowed, seeing the front he was putting up. He was avoiding the subject. She was about to say something snappy, though she worried about her brother, when a crash echoed through the forest. Igneous cursed under his breath, drawing his sword from its sheath. Blaze stared at its gleaming metal, wide eyed. Then, ten machines broke through the wooded barrier, each wielding a long, metal spear. The blue-haired ma glanced around, assessing the area. He grabbed the redhead's wrist and started sprinting off in the opposite direction.

She stumbled after him, finding it quite difficult to find her balance while being pulled along. "Hey! Where are we going? You could have taken those things with that sword of yours. Why run?" The Spider Rider almost chuckled. For a moment there, he'd thought he'd been with Hunter. Now he knew he wasn't. Blaze had a total lack of any form of battle intelligence.

"Not enough room there. Need more space." He could hear the Rods crashing through the forest behind him. The quicker he could reach the edge of the forest, the better. Blaze's wrist was suddenly wrenched from his grasp and she cried out, causing him to turn back. She was on her knees, trying to

pull her foot from the roots that entangled it. Her eyes met his, urging him to keep going. He shook his head, sheathing his sword. "No choice is there?" he mumbled to himself, grinning slightly. "I hope the Oracle will forgive me for destroying her forest." As the enemy closed in around him, Igneous thrust his left arm into the sky and yelled, "Arachna Power!" Blaze stared at the man, awestruck at his knowledge of those words. A web of light encased him and his clothing stretched and transformed. A lance-like weapon fell into his hand. The light faded, leaving Igneous in strange armor and with an even stranger smirk gracing his face. A white cape was draped over his right shoulder.

The robots advanced forward, carving a path through the forest as they went. Igneous struck a battle ready position in front of the defenseless young woman. He glanced back at her, mistaking the astonishment in her eyes for fear. "Do not be afraid, Blaze," he said, facing the oncoming enemies. "You shall not be harmed while I'm still alive." Her sea green eyes narrowed, her hands balling into fists.

"You're such an arrogant jerk. If my foot wasn't caught in roots right now, I would be punching you in the face. **(2)**" He whirled to face her, his cheeks reddening in anger.

"_You're_ the arrogant one! I'm trying to protect you and you're insulting me? A little gratitude is in order." As he ranted, the Rods raised their weapons to attack the angered rider while his guard was down. At least, they didn't have the intelligence to notice that his guard was, in fact, up. Blaze's eyes widened upon getting sight of their attack.

"Igneous! Watch out!" she cried, but it was too late; a spear was already in motion, its target, his back. Igneous' lance blocked the oncoming weapon, a satisfied grin lifting his face.

"Did you really think that you could sneak up on me? Cowards." There was no response from the machines, eliciting an annoyed sigh from the commander. "It's really irritating to fight an enemy who doesn't respond when insulted." He expertly angled the tip of the lance slightly and leaned back, severing a thick red wire that Blaze hadn't noticed until now. The machine fell, completely motionless. Igneous twirled around, studying the fallen robot. His grin melted into a cocky smirk, but she could detect the slightest amount of vengeance hidden within his hazel gaze as well as disappointment. "An older model... Perfect." He launched himself at another, his lance a dark blur at his side. Machines perished, for lack of a better word, via the end of that weapon. It was quite rare for one Rod to receive more than one strike.

Blaze spotted the reinforcements, being the only one to do so. If they managed to make it to Igneous, the resulting numbers could, and probably would, overwhelm the lone warrior. Even with her lack of battle knowledge, the redhead knew a hopeless situation when she saw one. The wood around her ankle seemed to tighten its grasp, preventing much movement. Something unexpected suddenly fell from the trees, completely terrifying Blaze. She stopped fighting her captor and remain motionless, hoping the creature wouldn't notice her. A large multicolored spider dropped down, encasing the oncoming enemies with sticky webbing. They soon found themselves unable to move as well, glued to the ground they stood on.

Igneous, who noticed the large spider's presence, didn't seem phased, but rather he appeared pleased. "Firebolt!" A line of blue flames shot towards the trapped machines, setting the webs on fire. The Rods began twitching one by one, sparks shooting from their bodies. Their bodies could not function under such high heat which caused them to malfunction. Strangely, the arachnid and the human worked well together and the rest of the attack force was destroyed within moments of the stranger's arrival.

As the last machine crumpled to the ground, the spider turned and started to advance towards Blaze, the already terrified girl trying to scramble back but found it impossible because of her trapped appendage. She didn't like the flinty accusation that poked at her from within each of the spider's eight eyes, threatening her with the glance. "Spider," Igneous called to the creature, halting it in its tracks. "This girl is no threat. She is a Spider Rider."

"She is an Earthen, Igneous of Arachna," it responded, its voice feminine.

"She is the sister of a very close friend of mine and you will not touch her." The redhead's eyes flew towards the blue-haired man's stony face, bewildered. She couldn't believe it. Igneous knew her brother.

"And who might that be?" The spider lifted a leg, threatening a step forward.

"Hunter Steele." The words seemed to have an effect on the spider, one of her light yellow legs stepping forward towards the girl.

"That boy is a danger to all of Arachna currently and all you Spider Riders need to get the backbone to deal with it." Igneous frowned, but watched Blaze's expression change with interest. She stood, her fiery red hair covering her expression. Seeing her face wasn't necessary; anyone could feel the waves of cold rage emanating from her.

"I'm not sure what's going on here," she started very, very quietly, her hands clenching into trembling fists. "But you're talking about my brother like he's trash and I will _not _stand for that." She snapped her head up, glaring at the spider. Her jaw was clenched with unbound fury. "I don't care if you're a spider, human, or all of the above; you will not talk about him like that or I will personally see to your demise. I'm not afraid of you. I take after my grandfather and he would not hesitate in facing you down. So I'm gonna borrow some of his Arachna Power..." A bright light cut off her words, bathing both her and the colorful spider in light. A beam shot straight up into the Oracle's Sun. Igneous watched from his spot, smiling softly. Blaze was just like Hunter, but with a quicker temper.

The light faded, leaving the young woman's body tingling. "What the hell just happened?" she demanded, staring at the light yellow contraption on her left wrist that was now slightly warm. The question was directed at both the spider and the rider.

"Blaze, you have just bonded with a Battle Spider," Igneous said, watching the look of wonder cross her face. It lingered for a moment before confusion overtook her expression again.

"Uh, why?" He displayed his own teal manacle, his eyes understanding.

"You're a Spider Rider, one of Arachna's most revered warriors." The spider then spoke up, her eyes still flinty.

"Why am I paired with the Earthen?" she yelled. Blaze winced suddenly, her hand shoving aside her sweat jacket to reveal a glowing spider just below her left collarbone. Igneous' eyes widened, taking a step forward in astonishment. The glow grew harsher and engulfed her as if displaying its power. It worked, too. The spider scurried back a few steps, shocked and slightly scared. When it faded, the girl captured within sagged against the tree whose roots trapped her foot. **(3)**

"Blaze!" Igneous yelled, running over to her. She looked up at him from where she sat, her eyes exhausted. In a flash, she was replaced by Hunter of memory. Hunter was leaning against a rock after the battle for Numaa, the exact same expression on his face as his sister was using now. Corona had gently tended to the injury on his chest. "Are you alright?" The vision shattered, leaving the sister in his place. She nodded, blinking up at him.

"Just a little tired," she replied softly. Placing most of her weight on the tree, she stood and faced the spider. "Do you have any more complaints?"

"The Oracle has blessed you, young one. I shall accompany you on your journey. We will fight as one." The spider's malevolence had faded from her eyes, leaving only a shocked kindness.

"Just one small problem with that." She smiled sheepishly. "I can't fight."

* * *

_DA: Well, then, that took a helluva long time... **yawns** Sorry, it's been a long week. Everything truly is happening at once right now..._

_Hunter: Cry me a river. You're just stressed because you should be studying for your SAT's which are tomorrow but you're too lazy. Plus you've got your AP exam on Wednesday but you're also too lazy to study for that. _

_DA: Procrastination thy name is fanfiction. And Hunter you don't have to be such a jerk about it. My closet has been rather lonely lately._

_Hunter: **scowls**_

_(1) Oh, yea. I went there. HIS HAIR LOOKS LIKE A TOWER!_

_(2) Jeez, Blaze is a violent little thing..._

_(3) Yes, she has a special mark that no one else has... No this does not make her a Mary Sue. The mark is a plot device and will go away after its purpose has been served. Promise. _

_DA: Sorry if this was a little awkward. I'm getting used to writing a OC which is entirely different from writing a character I already know. BTW, the forest is completely made up. Tell me what you think. And as always, no updates till after school ends. May is a very stressful month and I need time to actually focus on school... Sorry. When school ends, I'll try and put another chapter up but no promises. R&R._

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	20. Chapter 20

_DA: Well hello my fans... If I have any left... Whoopsss... I last updated in May. Well, this is a problem. I kinda lost inspiration there for a very long while and stopped mid-chapter. Half of that was because of a few reviews that I received patronizing what I've written. But then I realized, I don't give a f**k. Yep, I'm a high school senior and I officially don't care. XD If you have a problem with Blaze, explain to me what that problem is in a well thought out manner and I will see what I can do. Just telling me that you hate her and I should kill her off does not tell me what is wrong. Sorry... Plus, I never told you guys, but I stopped taking suggestions when I started thinking of the sequel and stuff. _

_But on a better note, I finally landed a boyfriend! So, yay for me for finally getting a backbone. Haha. But that also means I have less time than before... So more sporadic updates! YAY! **crickets** _

_Disclaimer: Don't own shit. Wish I did, cause the series would be longer and more awesome. Oh, but I do own Blaze and her awkwardness... Yea.._

_Enjoy the chapter! _

* * *

Chapter 20

Igneous laughed, throwing his head back. He couldn't help it. The worried look on Blaze's face for something so small was just too funny. "What are you laughing about, Iggy?" Blaze snapped, still using his nickname. "There's no way you're getting me on a giant spider, battle partner or not."

The spider stood nearby, a multicolored wonder to behold. Her head was white, flecked with bits of light blue. Her torso was the direct opposite, a light blue with spots of white. Each of her slender legs was a light yellow, matching the color of her eyes. The prongs jutting from her back were a pale pink, tipped with white. Blaze's face went pale whenever she glanced at the creature. She had gotten her energy back quick enough when Igneous had told her that riding the spider was the quickest way out of the forest. "It's perfectly safe," he said, calming down. "I won't let you fall off."

"It's not falling off that I'm afraid of," she muttered, frowning.

"You're the first Spider Rider in history with a case of arachnophobia." She glared at him, arms crossing over her chest.

"Fine... I'll ride the spider... Happy?" The blue-haired man nodded, before turning to the spider.

"Honorable spider, will you let me ride you along with your rider?" All eight of the arachnid's eyes turned to him, causing Blaze to swallow harshly.

"Why?" the she said. "Where is your spider?" Igneous' mouth twisted into a wry grin.

"Out." There was a sigh.

"No problem. Hop on."

"Thank you, great spider."

"My name is Crystal. Remember that." He turned to the redhead whose frown had deepened. Her hand hovered over her left shoulder where the strange mark had appeared earlier. It had vanished shortly after showing itself, but the spot still ached a bit. Smiling slightly, he climbed onto Crystal's back and held out a hand to help Blaze up. She scowled at him as she approached but, despite the obvious fact that she had no liking of the current situation, grabbed his hand.

Once on the spider, she lowered herself slowly, eyes wide. "Blaze." Igneous called, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. No response, just a blank stare. "Blaze!" The sharpness of his voice drew the redhead from her trance. Her sea green eyes blinked hesitantly up at him. "It's okay. Crystal's your partner. She will not hurt you."

"Sorry," she whispered, keeping her eyes locked onto his face. "It's a fear I've had since childhood. Though it's gotten a bit weaker, I can't seem to shake it." Blaze smiled weakly.

"Relax," he whispered back, kneeling down next to her. "Riding spiderback does take some getting used to." The blue haired teen faced the forest, eyes flicking around. "Crystal, can you get us out of this forest?" The spider's back hummed with laughter.

"No problem," the light voice responded. "I am a Battle Spider."

"Arrogant much?" Blaze rasped, smirking. She seemed to be relaxing a bit, leaning against of one of Crystal's spikes.

"Do not test me Earthen!" The spider started off, going out of her way to make the trip rough. The redhead whimpered, clutching the spike she'd been leaning against for dear life. Her eyes had shut and Igneous foresaw no way to get her calm again until he cooled Crystal's anger. And even then, he knew of no way to achieve that either.

Sighing, he sat, carefully watching the forest as it rushed by, and let his thoughts migrate to the battle. Where a few Rods showed, others often followed, sometimes with a leader. He almost hoped Melinda appeared. He had a few things to settle with that witch. "Igneous," a voice said. He glanced back to find Blaze staring at him intently. "Is everything alright?" He forced a smile, yanking his thoughts away from Petra.

"Everything's fine. Just thinking." She nodded skeptically, noticing the lies in his expression. She opened her mouth to voice her concerns when they burst into the open air Her eyes were instantly drawn to the sun, her mouth hanging open.

"Woah... That's a big sun..." She heard Igneous chuckle behind her, but chose to ignore it this time.

"Oh, Oracle. You're just like your brother aren't you?" She dropped her gaze to glare at him, looking directly back up.

"If you value your life, you'll never say that again." The light drew the color from her eyes. Igneous just stared at her, unable to tear his eyes away. There was something about her...

"Sorry," he murmured, dropping his gaze once he realized what he was doing. "Didn't mean to offend you." Sometime during their conversation, their ride eased. "Let's get you to Arachna." He watched where they walked, checking for enemies. Blaze scanned the area like a child might, frantically glancing around.

"How do you know my brother?" Igneous answered without looking.

"He's a Spider Rider, like me. I trained him until he got strong enough to handle himself." He laughed quietly. "But I don't know him as well as a few others." He was surprised by her outburst of laughter. She threw her head back and cackled, her body involuntarily caving in on itself. "What's so funny?"

"You've got to be kidding me," she breathed between fits of laughter. "My brother, the one always marked as the weakling, can actually fight. What a joke." She dissolved into laughter again. Igneous couldn't stop a surge of anger at Blaze for mocking Hunter, fists clenching. He forced a steady tone when correcting her.

"Blaze. I'm not kidding." The laughter faded into silence at his sharp words. "It's been a year since you last saw him. Things must have changed." She stared at him, thoroughly astonished. Nothing more passed between them.

SRSRSR

Melinda stood at the edge of the forest, peering in to attempt to find the Rods that had entered a good hour ago. Apparently, they had failed at their task and she had to destroy the useless machines. Ordered with the simple job of razing this forest, the psychic had sent a few of her robots to do her job. She took a step into the darkness, following the path she had sent her metallic servants on. Her foot collided with something hard and she swore, instantly recoiling.

Her dark eyes swept the area, the destruction both pleasing and displeasing her. The bodies of her Rods lay sprawled on the ground in heaps. Some were melted slightly, a few strands of webbing clinging to their drooping metal. Others just littered the ground unmoving, the wire essential to keeping them running severed. A Spider Rider created this mess.

A grim smile formed on Melinda's face as she placed a hand on one of the melted carcasses. A warmed temperature prodded the skin of her palm. The useless machine was killed only recently. The Spider Rider couldn't have gone far. The psychic sprinted off, her band curling around the sword strapped to her hip. With any luck, she'll be dragging a proud warrior to her master tonight.

SRSR

Blaze, dozing lightly on her spider, snapped her eyes open, her hand pressing against her forehead. She jerked upright, eyes flicking around. The sun had begun darkening, the terrain a little pinker. A waterfall splashed nearby, water droplets misting the air. Igneous glanced back at her, smiling softly at her. "Awake already?" he questioned, curiously watching her expression transform from confused to worried. She stood quickly, grasping one of the prongs on Crystal's back to keep herself upright. "What's wrong?" She payed him no mind, frowning harshly.

"This can't be right..." she murmured, her voice soft. Igneous wasn't sure he even heard her. His hazel eyes remained glued to the number 15 printed on the back of her sweatshirt, paint cracking. "This is impossible..." He finally stood and walked up to her, still not drawing her gaze.

"What's wrong?" he repeated, his hand unconsciously moving on top of hers. She jumped at the human contact, her eyes finding his. A blush darkened the skin of her face as she glanced down at the hand overlapping her own. She slowly withdrew her hand.

"What did you say?" she stuttered, her voice unsure. The darkness obscured his own pink face. Mentally he berated himself. He couldn't flirt with Hunter's sister.

"I asked what was bothering you." The blue-haired commander surprised himself with an even tone. Her eyes, reflecting the light of the dimmed Oracle's Sun, tilted up towards the sky, a scowl forming upon her lips. She said nothing for several moments, but then she turned back to him, folding her legs beneath her.

"Have you ever heard of the twin sense?" A puzzled look crossed his face as he pondered the quiet questioned. Her hands, once splayed on her thighs, curled into anxious fists.

"I've heard of twins. They're two siblings who were born at the same time, right?" She nodded, her red hair slipping from behind her ear. "But I've never heard of this twin sense... It sounds almost psychic." He shuddered at the word, memories of a dark-haired woman invading his thoughts. Blaze smiled slightly, nodding again.

"It _is_ a psychic ability, to an extent, shared between a set of twins. They can read each others' thoughts, feel each others' pain, and even share emotions." She paused as he crouched down next to her, hazel eyes wide.

"No way. You and Hunter are... twins?" The redhead sighed, lowering her gaze. A hollowness had worked its way into her heart, sending pangs of worry through her body. The feeling had only intensified as they continued in this direction.

"Yea. We're twins..." Her mouth closed of its own accord, finding herself unable to speak further. She wanted to tell Igneous, she really did, but she couldn't find the words to express how she felt. She really didn't understand what she was feeling herself. She noticed the look in the teen's eyes change, going from curious to worried. The hint of fear that laced with the worry shocked her.

"What're you feeling?" A tone of cold understanding invaded his tone, nearly urgent. His hand drifted towards his manacle, ready to call for help. He startled Blaze with his words and her wide eyes locked with his.

"I...I don't know..." She floundered for the right words, snapping her eyes shut to focus on her sixth sense. "It's hollow. It's almost as if he's not truly connected with me anymore." Igneous nodded, understanding. His lips pressed into a thin line as she continued. "The presence is scattered, almost like he's in more than one place. Every time I try to focus on it, my side starts hurting and it slips away." (1) She opened her eyes, pleading with the commander to help her. "I don't know what's going on, but all I know is that he's hurt." Igneous remained silent, his eyes trained onto the passing scenery. He couldn't tell her what was going on. As a new Spider Rider, Blaze required training and to tell her the full story would only distract her from learning.

The blue-haired teen's calculating eyes focused on a nearby village, a grin pulling at his lips. "Do you want to sleep on a bed or on the ground tonight?" It changed the subject efficiently enough.

"On a bed, of course." Her startled response made him laugh. She frowned at him. "What kind of question is that Iggy? A stupid one, that's what. And don't think that our earlier conversation is over. I want to know what's going on." He glared at her, completely ignoring the last part of her statement.

"It was an honest question. I can get us some beds for tonight, so stop insulting me or I'll make you sleep on the cold, hard ground." He frowned and stood, directing Crystal with a few words. The spider angled slightly, aiming for the town nestled near a few hills. The redhead stood up, noticing the smile on Igneous' face.

"Where are we going?" she asked, yawning. Night here was darker than night on earth, and it only made her more tired. He pointed to the town.

"That small village. It's called Grove Village and one of my closest friends lives there."

"Sounds cool. Wake me up when we get there." She eased herself back down, curling up on Crystal's back. Igneous laughed quietly. He was feeling tired himself, but he could wait for now. His mind lingered for a moment on Blaze's sense and he automatically scanned the area. The scattered sense could only be caused by Melinda's obnoxious powers, which could mean that she was close if Blaze could pick up on the sense.

A lone man met them at the entrance to Grove Village. His blond hair whipped around in the wind, appearing darker in the black of night. The lights of the town danced across his tanned skin, revealing the smirk that stretched the man's lips. His hands grasped the twin swords on his belt, his blue eyes staring intently at Igneous. The commander jumped from the moving spider and approached his friend, grinning.

The man recognized his old friend, his hands relaxing on the swords' hilts. The smirk transformed into a grin, mimicking the Spider Rider. "Well, well," he said, closing the distance between them. The golden pendent that hung around his neck reflected the firelight. "If it isn't Igneous of Arachna..." He halted, his eyes meeting Igneous'. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need lodgings for me and my companion. You think you can provide that?" Igneous questioned. His tone hinted at a challenge and the blond smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. He'd picked up on the challenge.

"I guess that depends on whether you can beat me in a duel." The commander's grin widened and he held out a hand which his friend clasped enthusiastically. "It's nice to see you again, Igneous. I thought Prince Lumen would keep you in Arachna until the wall is fixed."

"You too, Slate. (2) I kinda escaped. There was a job that needed to be done and I needed to get out of there." Slate nodded in understanding, his eyes sympathetic. "And on my job, I ran into my new friend." His eyes slid to the spider and the girl asleep on its back. A gasp of astonishment left his throat.

"No way... A new Spider Rider?" Igneous nodded, glancing back at Blaze and Crystal.

"Yea. Another Earthen too." The blond just continued staring, apparently not hearing his words. The commander pinched the bridge of his nose, frowning sharply. He knew what Slate was thinking, and as much as he'd like to get their leader back, Blaze had to train first and she couldn't be distracted. "If only it were that easy..." he muttered, silently wishing for some sort of miracle. Slate heard that and snapped his gaze back to his friend, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Slate. Do me a favor. Don't mention anything about what's happening to Hunter when you talk to her." Blue eyes blinked at him.

"Uh... Ok... But why?" Igneous smiled tightly at him, keeping his thoughts unreadable. He had to protect Blaze, even if it meant withholding the truth from her. (3)

"You'll see... Now can we finally get some sleep?" Slate nodded, still slightly confused, and lead them into the village. Crystal followed the friends, paying no mind to the stares that she drew. Spiders didn't visit this town often.

A dark-haired woman followed the set of spider footprints, an hour behind Igneous and Blaze.

* * *

_DA: Well, I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm sorry if it wasn't worth the wait. I'm kinda rusty... _

_(1) This might not be entirely clear, but I hope you get the idea.._

_(2) Slateeee! Anyone else a Slate lover?_

_(3) This will not end well... Especially when she discovers the truth..._

_DA: Well, then. Hopefully, it won't be another year before you get the next chapter... I can't promise anything though. On another note, I have a twitter account. If you want to follow me, look up DarkAngelBK201. I'm the loser with a Sora picture. XD hahahaha. Anyways, R&R._

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


	21. Chapter 21

_DA: Well, heh heh... Sorry it's been this long. I really meant to continue much faster than this, but I got lazy, jumped into different fandoms, and lost inspiration in general. But now, I discovered that the online game still works, but only until late February and that dragged me into the show once again. I'm actually watching it now as I write this author's note. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Spider Riders._

_DA: Well then, enjoy the much awaited chapter 21 of Spider Riders: A New Evil!_

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Chapter 21

Blaze's eyes snapped open, a loud noise startling her awake. She looked around, completely confused. Last thing she remembered was her falling asleep on Crystal; now she lay in a room, blankets swathing her body and her spider nowhere in sight. The room shone slightly green, the color of the stone defining the coloring. A window, carved into one wall, revealed the still dark sky and a garden lit by torches. She stumbled out of bed, trying to gather her thoughts as another crash echoed through the building. The hollowness still remained in her heart, making her flinch as she examined it. Only, the strange scattered presence seemed far closer than it had been earlier.

Eyes wide, she threw the door open, a goal in mind. She had to find Igneous. He'd know what this meant. She saw the look in his hazel eyes, though she didn't truly understand it. Igneous knew more than he let on, a lot more. She found herself in a hallway that ended both ways in another room. She followed the noises to a kitchen where a young woman clutched a child to her chest, cowering beneath a window. The woman's terrified eyes stared at the redhead, frantically assessing her. They hesitated on the pale yellow device that encircled her wrist, widening slightly. She set the child down, allowing it to crouch where it was set, and crawled to Blaze's feet, clutching at her hand. "Please Lady Spider Rider," she cried, staring earnestly up at her. "Help protect our village from the robots attacking our town."

Blaze trained her gaze on the young woman, frozen in place by her actions. She must have mistaken her for someone else. The title struck a cord in her; Igneous called her the same thing: Spider Rider. Apparently, that blessed her with some inborn ability to battle. The redhead panicked, realizing that her hands had never curled around a weapon. Not firearm, not a sword, not even a switchblade that some people carried at her school. But she couldn't say that, not with this stranger depending on her. She nodded slightly, squeezing the woman's hands. "I will protect this place with everything I have," she whispered, smiling slightly.

The woman smiled as well, picking the child back up and assuming her hiding place. Blaze flinched as the sharp screeching of metal on metal scratched against her ears. Frowning, she thrust the door open, silently wondering where this new found courage appeared from. Strange machines, like the ones that had attacked her and Igneous, were scattered about the town, wrecking havoc wherever they walked. One of them spotted her has she quietly closed the door, trying not to bring attention to herself.

The redhead soon discovered that it had not worked as she dodged the Rod's spear, nearly tripping over her own two feet. Staring the metal being down, her feet thought for her, sprinting off in the opposite direction. Ironically, where they took her was where the fighting was focused. Now where was her confounded spider? The teen spotted a mound of blue hair and she headed towards it, remembering what she had to tell him. Her mouth opened to yell his name, or a variation of it, but only a breathy whisper wheezed past her lips. She was terrified, she just hadn't realized it until now.

She shook as three machines boxed her into a corner, trying to find a way out. A scream tore from her lips as a spear found its way to her throat. "Blaze!" Igneous cried, his eyes flicking to the direction of her voice. He blocked another weapon, tearing it from the fiend's grasp. He swore harshly, discovering he couldn't move much without carving himself a path. "Hold on! I'll be there as soon as I can."

Blaze swallowed, hearing his words. She felt the sting of the spear slicing her skin, blood leaking down her neck. Her back was pressed against a building and yet, the machine's still advanced towards her. She couldn't find a way out of this and she knew that she was good as dead. The power that had once protected her from Crystal remained dormant as if responding to her helplessness. The Rod brought the spear up, the metal reflecting the light of the fires. Her hands clenched into fists and she turned away, eyes closed. She could feel the touch of death as it wrapped around her.

But he strike never came. The redhead opened her eyes, glancing towards her attacker. The spear trembled in the Rod's grasp, thing strands of webbing wrapped around it. "Crystal!" Blaze cried, the spider colliding with the enemy. It collapsed under her weight, the metal bending outward. The teen jumped onto her spider, rubbing the cut on her neck. "Thanks Crystal."

"Don't mention it. You're my rider, what kind of partner would I be if I let you get killed," Crystal responded. Blaze noted the change of attitude in the multicolored battle spider, feeling slightly relieved. With her so-called mount no longer at her throat, perhaps she stood a chance in this crazy place. The spider rode on, trying to regroup with the scarily small fighting force. Blaze scanned the impromptu battlefield, her stomach swirling with nausea. Houses burned, white hot flames tearing the structures apart, and though most of the families had escaped, terrified shouts mingled with agonized screams, the cacophony grating harshly against her ears. A strong surge of anger surged through her; hands curling into fists.

No more running like a coward; she had to do something. Her hands loosened, once again falling limply at her sides. But what? Her eyes gazed hopelessly up at the moon, trying to think of something. She didn't have magic armor like Igneous had that only activated when she needed it. Her thoughts halted here, lifting her bracelet to eye level. Maybe she did. But how did he activate his earlier? She could barely remember, fear blurring her memories. "Sorry to interrupt," Crystal said, shaking her back to break Blaze from her thoughts. "But we're surrounded." The redhead blinked dumbly down at the spider.

"What?" she mumbled distractedly. Her mount sighed irritated.

"If you could pay attention for a moment... We're under attack!" Blaze glanced around, finding several spears pointing towards them, preventing movement. She stared blankly at them for several moments, still lost in her mind. She expected her mighty spider to do something.

"Why don't you just crush them or something?" The phrase Igneous had used bugged her; she knew that it was familiar to her, she just couldn't remember it. What was it?!

"Excuse me! They're pointing sharp weapons at us and you just expect me to rush at them? My armor may be tough but it's not impenetrable. I could use your help. Why don't you transform like Igneous does?" The redhead glared at the spider, frustration burning in her gaze.

"I'm still trying to figure out how! I'm an outsider remember? An Earthen. What I know about this place, I only know because of my grandfather's stories. That's all he did really. Tell stories and run around yelling Arachna Power for -" A bright, but gentle, light cut her off, covering both their bodies with its glow. It formed a thick spider web, cocooning both the pair. A strong burst of energy rose from within her, fueling the light.

She felt her arms lift up and a milky substance encased them, soon falling away. Her clothes shifted against her skin, transforming. Into what, she didn't know. Two objects secured her hair back and away from her face. Her legs felt free, which meant her shorts had changed into something looser. One of her arms remained bare and the other was completely covered in sturdy cloth. Heavy weights settled on her shoulders, a slab of some sort of material attaching itself to her manacle, a shield of some sort. As the last of the substance dropped from her, a glowing object appeared before her to take. She reached out and grabbed it, watching as the light faded.

Her eyes glanced at what she held in her hand, a gasp escaping from her mouth. A gleaming silver sword rested in her palm, the pink crystal at its hilt shining sharply as if winking. It's hilt was pastel yellow, though a white grip surrounded it. A long yellow ribbon floated gently in the breeze, twitching at the changes in air movement.

"I know you're shocked and all," Crystal said, sounding tense. "But gawk later. We have to fight now." Blaze glanced around, her eyes sweeping across the machines, all rearing back to strike. She gripped her weapon tightly, feeling her muscles strain. She had to fight, she just wished she knew how. A roar snapped her fear as Crystal began carving her way through monsters effortlessly. A spear had glanced of her toughened hide, leaving a deep slash.

The redhead snarled at the sight of the injury, angry as if it was her own. She flung her arm out at the next machine who dared attack Crystal. Miraculously, she caught a spear on her blade. Adrenaline raced immediately through her veins as the teen flung the opposing weapon from hers and stopped another. An amazed, but hysterical giggle escaped her lips. Blaze couldn't believe herself. She actually blocked a weapon!

Smiling crazily, she jerked her sword upwards, enjoying the sight of the robot's weapon sailing towards the heavens. Her eyes zeroed in on the thick red wire tracing the Rod's neck. Arm moving on its own, she sliced through the cord. It crumpled spectacularly, a heap of metal limbs. Blaze could still hear Igneous swearing as he struggled to get to her, giddy in the head of battle.

The whir of another machine caused her to turn, dispatching it in the same fashion. Suddenly, a shot of ice swept down her spine, snapping her from her battle induced daze. Sea green eyes went wide at the hollowness that wormed its way back into her heart. A chilling laugh echoed through and around the army. "Well, well," a woman said, her voice projecting above the sounds of battle. "What do we have here? I don't believe I'm familiar with you sweetheart." Blaze turned slowly, her face a mask of fear and shock. A set of dark eyes searched her face, a slow grin creeping across the new woman's features. "Or perhaps I am. You have one familiar face, Spider Rider. What are you called?"

The redhead was finding it hard to breathe, the menacing atmosphere blocking her ability to function like a normal human being. Her eyes kept swinging back to the black sword attached the the dark-haired woman's hip. Somehow though, her frozen lips made words. "B-blaze S-steele," she stuttered, the woman's grin widening.

"I didn't know I only had half of a matching set. It'd be wonderful to complete it." Blaze took a step back as the woman's hand curled around her sword's hilt.

"W-who are you?" Pure terror was ebbing slightly as she relaxed more into the situation. She still didn't like the vibes flowing from her adversary. The hand left the hilt and pressed against her chest, a gesture of false sheepishness.

"Please forgive my manners, Blaze." The sarcasm nearly dripped from her voice. "I am Melinda, servant of the Dark Oracle. And soon, you shall call me Master." The sword cleared its sheath and Blaze only had time to lift her sword before an enormous force crashed into her, metal on metal, leaving her arms numb.

Dark eyes bore into the teen's, glimmering with pleasure. That sick smile never left Melinda's face, even as Crystal tried to buck the newcomer from her back. Blaze's arms were shaking with effort, sweat beading her forehead. "You will not escape," Melinda whispered before vanishing again. Blaze twirled around, expecting the woman to be behind her. A line of fire burned from shoulder to shoulder, hot blood dribbling down her back from the injury, and she turned again, but no one was there. She never saw the rock that lifted from the ground and slammed into the side of her head. The redhead collapsed onto her spider, eyes rolling up into her head with a soft cry.

Melinda appeared again on Crystal, holding her back with her powers. Her black blade, dripping with scarlet, was pointed at the young, unconscious Spider Rider. "All too easy. Tell me, Igneous. Is this how all you filthy Spider Riders start out?" The dark-haired woman turned, smirking at the commander as he sprinted up. His lance came up and pointed straight at her, the crystal flashing a threatening red.

"Let her go, Melinda. Your battle is with me, not her." The sword was lowered, her attention now solely on Igneous.

"Maybe so, but maybe I have other reasons for challenging this girl." His hazel eyes narrowed in anger, a harsh frown slashing across his face. His grip tightened around his lance.

"You will not take her. Come and fight me you coward!" Melinda seemed to consider it for a moment before shrugging and jumping down from Crystal, advancing on the blue-haired man. Relief flashed in his eyes before they hardened again, preparing for battle. This was the chance he'd been waiting for.

"How about we make a deal? You beat me, and I let her go, but if I win, I take you both you and her." Igneous took a breath, suddenly nervous, and opened his mouth to agree despite the fact that he knew that the chance of this ending in his favor was very slim.

"No deal," a new voice interjected. Slate ran up, blood dribbling from a cut on his forehead. His tanned face was smudged with dirt and grime, but there was a determined glint to his blue eyes. "I want in on this." The blond man smiled briefly at Igneous, his swords already at ready. The psychic merely looked amused.

"Fine then. The more the merrier." Returning the smile, the commander positioned himself next to his friend. His weapon was held at ready by his side. Their opponent only displayed her shock with a slight widening of her dark eyes. To say that she was surprised by Igneous' change in attitude was an understatement.

"Ready Fang?" Slate questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Always Claw," Igneous responded just as smoothly, smirking. The blond reversed his grip on his blades, a much more comfortable style of fighting for him. They exchanged a look and they separated, running in opposite directions. Melinda lifted her sword, carefully monitoring her opponents' positions. However, she was still surprised when Slate appeared before her, attacking viciously. She barely flinched at his attack, blocking with ease. Blades clashed with surprising force, neither attacker nor defender showing any signs of struggle. The blond was an experienced warrior, any opponent could tell by the casual ease in which he held his twin weapons.

There was a gleam in his eyes that the psychic couldn't wait to crush. But toying with him was proving more entertaining than she could have thought. Sweat glued locks of his thick hair to his dirty skin, but his attacks never slowed, pressing her even harder. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly at the quickened pace, sword a black blur as it caught each sword individually. The smirk on his lips widened at her barely noticeable struggle.

He slashed forward with the right blade, feeling it jar to a stop. With the other sword, he swept it under her defense and flicked the sharp tip against her cheek, watching the blood spill over the split skin. Slate flew back, heels dragging uselessly against he the dirt. Hands grasping at his swords' hilts, he stared, wide eyed, at Melinda, the woman approaching with a sinister grin. He couldn't move and she knew it. "And here I thought you Arachnians would learn. You can never win against me," she said, hair whipping back in the sudden surge of wind. "You're too pathetically normal to do anything to h-" Her own cry of pain stopped her speech, arching her back as something tore through it.

"You forgot about one thing Melinda," Slate chuckled from his trapped position. Her sword driven deep into the ground to hold her upright, she managed to glare at the blue-eyed man.

"There's two halves to Arachna's Fang and Claw," Igneous called, moving back into position beside his partner, who now moved freely. "While Claw is formidable alone, he's nothing without Fang." Frowning, she mustered enough strength to stand upright on her own, yanking the black blade from the dirt.

"And even that strength will pale in comparison to mine." As the snarled words left her throat, her hair began lifting gently as if brushed by the wind. She vanished, Slate catching her sword in the intersection of his weapons. Dark eyes glinting maliciously, she froze Igneous in place as he raced towards her and launched him into Crystal. But this distraction allowed the blond man to shift his swords slightly and free one of them for an attack. The psychic stopped the blade in its tracks, her eyes now fully on him.

The grass under them soon ignited, Claw jumping away from the heat with a practiced ease. Melinda flicked her gaze between Igneous and Slate, both of whom were circling the contained fire with a predator's stride. The inferno died quickly, her powers suppressing it. Her face was fixed in a scowl, but she knew what needed to be done. "Fine. You can keep the girl. For now. But I'll be back for her soon." With that she ran, leaving her army behind as it marched out of the town.

Slate watched Igneous' face carefully, his blue eyes hard with worry. That Firebolt blast has been far stronger than it should have been if they were only trying to subdue their opponent rather than kill them. "Igneous, I'm sorry. I wasn't nearly quick enough. She got away," he whispered. The commander's hazel eyes just stared at the spot where the psychic had once stood. Finally, he sighed and smiled reassuringly at his friend.

"It's alright. I didn't expect to win anyway. Though one good thing came out of this..." he observed, his expression thoughtful. Slate raised an eyebrow, silently hoping that Igneous hadn't lost it.

"And that is?"

"We discovered a weakness. She can only focus on one person at a time when using her abilities in battle. I always wondered why she preferred one-on-one battles." To that, the blond man smiled as well. Perhaps there was hope.

SRSRSRSR

Blaze moaned upon arising to consciousness, her head pounding fiercely. Her back burned when she shifted. "Blaze...Blaze..." an unfamiliar voice called, a gentle hand pressing against the bump on the side of her head. Her eyes flew open, squinting against the bright candle light. A blurry form hovered above her and as her eyes adjusted, a tan man with blond hair came into view.

"Who're you?" she murmured, tongue thick in her mouth. The man smiled at her, removing his hand.

"I'm Slate, Igneous' friend," he said pleasantly. "That's a really nasty bump you have on your head, but you should be ok."

"Where's Igneous and how do you know my name?" Her thoughts and words came clearer as she woke up more, struggling to sit up. Slate helped her, leaning her against a pillow.

"Igneous is out checking the town for damage. He'll have to report to the prince later. As for your name... It was pretty obvious who you were when Igneous was calling your name from across town. I'm willing to bet that's why Melinda targeted you."

"That woman targeted me?" He nodded, settling himself back onto the chair.

"Igneous hates her with every fiber of his being. Melinda has discovered this and she really enjoys toying with him. It's what she does best really." The redhead crossed her arms, scowling.

"I really don't like her. She just gives me a bad feeling." The blue eyes staring at her softened a bit.

"You're not alone there. I'm sure all of Arachna sides with you." He paused, his expression thoughtful. "Now who are you really? Igneous refuses to say anything about you." Blaze raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"That doesn't sound like Iggy. He's usually too busy talking." The blond chuckled and sat back a bit. "But I'm Blaze Steele, though you may know me as Hunter's sister. I'm kinda new to this whole Spider Rider thing." If Slate was shocked, he hid it well, his expression unchanging.

"Huh... He never mentioned that he had a sister..."

"His twin to be exact." Slate smiled again, though it was a bit strained this time. Blaze noticed, but said nothing, expecting no answers anyway.

"Blaze, I could tell you so many crazy stories about your brother if you'd care to hear." She nodded enthusiastically, eyes twinkling with excitement. Igneous had told her the basics, but she had trouble believing him without an actual story. "Well, when I first met Hunger, he was short, young, and he had these green eyes that were just gleaming with youth's enthusiasm. I was in a bit of trouble back then..."

SRSRSRSR

When Igneous returned to the room, Slate had Blaze completely entranced with the story. "You see, I was completely surprised when Hunter sprinted into the middle of our battle, my amulet in hand. And you should have seen his face when we finished the battle anyway. But my heart had been warmed by the strength and size of his own." Blaze leaned forward slightly, smiling as brightly as a child in a candy store. Her sea green eyes shined with joy.

"And then what happened? Who won the fight?" she questioned, submerged in the story. Slate smiled as if to answer, but Igneous interjected first.

"It was a tie. Our swords broke before a true victor could be called," he said, walking up to the bed. Blaze laughed, not at all startled by his sudden entrance. The blond just sighed, crossing his arms. "So what'd I miss?"

"I was educating Blaze here on the crazy antics of her brother," he said, glancing up at his friend. "What's the damage?"

"Several houses will need replacing and quite a few need repairs. I'll get Prince Lumen to send builders down here to help out." Gratitude shone in the young man's blue eyes.

"You have no idea how much that means to me. Thank you Igneous." The blue-haired Spider Rider placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, responding with a smile.

"Blaze. We're going to start moving again in the morning. You should be ok enough for spiderback at that point." The redhead nodded her understanding.

"And what if I'm not?" The commander appeared troubled at the thought, paling slightly.

"Then we still leave. The healers at Arachna are better than the ones here at Grove Village."

"Igneous, let her see the city before you start selling it to her," Slate reminded him. The man in question scowled, ignoring the laughter around him.

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_DA: Well that was far more exciting than the last few chapters. I love Slate wayyy too much. I typed this up while actually watching that episode if you can believe that. I hope the Fang and Claw battle was good enough for you guys. XD I tried really hard._

_Anyways, announcements. College is still kicking my ass, so I can't promise any updates. I'm also finishing up a novel length Fullmetal Alchemist fic that has demanded full use of my time. It will be called Darkness to Dawn if any of you are FMA fans. I have one more chapter that focuses on Blaze and then we get to switch back to Hunter which I'm sure relieves all of you, including me. Oh, and if any of you have a tumblr, I'm on! Feel free to follow me and nag me on there if you want. My url is darkangebk201._

_Well thanks for reading! Leave a review cause they help with inspiration. :)_

_May your hearts stay strong,_

_DarkAngel555_


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